Lovers Episodes
by jokermans
Summary: A compilation of short stories which feature various moments of my four favourite Persona relationships. Akira and Ann. Akira and Makoto. Yu and Rise. Yu and Yukiko. They are set during various times of the game and possibly after. Stories to be added every so often. Latest Update: Birthday Special Update! Akira/Makoto: After Valentine's Interview & Yu/Rise: A Christmas Situation
1. AkiraAnn: Nightmare

Hello there! After thinking about it for some time now, I wanted to make Lovers Episodes a place to put all my short stories for my four favorite Persona girls instead of just Ann which I did at first. I just had to urge write short stories about all of them. Some of them need more love compared to other characters too. The name will stay the same because they are all "lovers" of the main characters. I've said it before but it's easy to fall in love with Ann, Makoto, Rise, and Yukiko. I do have my favorites (ehem Lovers) but I want to write about all of them still! I'll update it whenever I get a short story worth uploading. Hope you guys enjoy! (This was inspired by one of my favorite works (Lovers in Fragments) a Rise/Yu fanfic.

* * *

Akira and his friends patiently waited for Yusuke to finish his painting. But they were at a breaking point. Ryuji once again couldn't control his anger. Now Yusuke was threatening them with police action.

"What the Eff man!" Ryuji was fuming. He couldn't believe the guy they were trying to help was threatening him.

"Ryuji! That's enough!" said Akira. He was getting frustrated too but he knew that being out of control won't help anyone.

"Ryuji! Stop it! Calm down, Okay?" said Ann. She was trying to alleviate the tension boiling in the room as well.

"Dammnit!" Ryuji said.

He finally started to keep quiet… It was then that Yusuke came up with a deal.

"I won't report you… but only under one condition." said Yusuke.

The three Phantom Thieves were silent. They were wondering what the artist had in mind.

"What's that?" asked Ann.

What he asked though was something the three of them didn't see coming at all.

"I want you to continue being my model, Takamaki-san."

"But you said that it wasn't working out today…" said Ann.

"That's because I was unconsciously being modest for your sake… however I have nothing to worry about anymore, if you're willing to BARE everything to me…"

It was at this moment that Akira's mind started to blow up.

"Wait…did he just ask what I thought he did?… He couldn't possibly be asking…." thought Akira.

Before he could verify it himself, Yusuke made it clear what he meant.

"…I will put my heart and soul into creating the best NUDE painting EVER!" said Yusuke with so much passion.

Akira's mind shattered. No words were coming out of his mouth from the sheer shock.

"WHHAAAT?" Ryuji said loudly. He couldn't believe his ears either.

"NUUUDDEE?!" Ann shouted. She was so taken aback from the shocking revelation.

However Yusuke didn't even seem phased from their loud reactions. He was an artist so devoted to his craft that his mind was so centered on making his "perfect work."

"Ah, to think I'd be able to create a nude painting with my most ideal model!… Of course, you two won't be allowed in, and I ask that you forget about our discussion today as well.

Akira couldn't keep quiet any longer. Yusuke was going to be alone in a room with Ann undressed. He was going to blackmail them in order to paint her nude. That was crossing the line. He had feelings for Ann but he hadn't told her yet. But before anything else, he could honestly say that he and Ann have become close friends if not already best friends. He would NEVER allow this. Yusuke was going to make Ann bare EVERYTHING. His face was turning red from even imagining it.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! We're not even going to consider allowing Ann to do that!" Akira never denied something louder in his life. He was breathing heavily as he looked to his friends for agreement.

"Right guys? Ann? Ryuji?"

To his surprise though, Ryuji was already leaving the room. His back was already turned. He talks to Akira while he leaves.

"Like Yusuke said…he needs a new piece for his sensei so that there won't be anymore inconveniences." said Ryuji.

"What?! Ryuji! You can't be okay with this?!" Akira was shocked. Ryuji may have quarreled with Ann every so often but he wouldn't be okay with her doing this.

"Ann! Let's get out of here. This guy is—" Before Akira could finish speaking further, what he saw startled him. Ann was starting to take off her black blazer and put it to the side. She looked at him directly and spoke to him in a straight voice.

"Akira. It's all right. We need to do this. I'm fine…with baring it all."

"Wait…What?" Akira stuttered.

Ann started to remove her white shirt as well. He could see clearly her cute pink bra. Akira was covering his eyes.

"Oh my God. Ann! No…No…"

He moves to head outside the door to not see Ann so exposed. Yusuke was starting to go back to his seat and paint again.

"Alright. Let us begin." Yusuke said.

Akira looked back one last time and saw Ann unhook her bra. Ryuji was slowly closing the door to prevent anyone from seeing further. Akira couldn't control himself. He shouted back.

"No! No! Ann! No! You can't! No! NOOOOOOOO—!" he screamed to Ann.

"Akira…!" He heard a voice call out to him.

"Akira! Wake up!"

The boy jumped. He was breathing intensely as sweat was going down his face. He looked around to see where he was. He was on the second floor of LeBlanc. His room.

"Where…What?!" Akira was still panicking. He didn't know what just happened.

"Akira…Are you okay?!" said a familiar girl's voice.

"Ann?" he asked.

He turned around and saw a concerned Ann Takamaki slowly standing up from the couch. There he could see some pillows and blankets nearby on the floor.

"What happened, Akira? You started fidgeting in your sleep. You called out my name. Then you started to scream NO loudly!"

It was then that Akira finally got his bearing. They weren't at Madarame's old place. Yusuke wasn't asking Ann to be his model either. That happened months ago. That event didn't even play out that way either. Ann never ended up baring it all, which he thanked the gods for. He was safe at the 2nd floor of LeBlanc with her. Ann and Akira confessed their love to each other some time ago and they were dating already for several months.

"What did we do…?" he says to himself quietly. He then recalls what he did that day.

The two of them just came back from a date. They then had a meal at Big Bang Burger and the two of them decided to head back to LeBlanc to relax. Finally, the both of them wanted to snuggle in close on the couch due to how cold the weather was lately. Before they knew it, the two of them fell asleep on each other. It wasn't the first time they relaxed together on the couch of LeBlanc but Akira today got an unpleasant dream.

"I-I'm sorry… I just had... a really BAD nightmare." said Akira. He was still huffing.

"What was it about?" asked Ann. He could hear the worry of her voice.

Akira though was starting to turn red about the nightmare he had. The idea of her baring it all was shocking. He knew that one day, both he and Ann would be more intimate but right now they haven't crossed that line yet. He was patient and willing to wait till they were both ready. At this point, he already got nervous whenever Ann was wearing her gorgeous bikini outfit. She herself would be quite embarrassed at times showing so much skin to him. But they were slowly crossing a few barriers. Akira however couldn't the handle the idea of she revealing herself to anybody else. He started to get a bit jealous and protective.

"Damn Yusuke…" Akira silently said.

"What was that?…" said Ann.

"N-nothing!" said Akira. He got more composed and remembered that Yusuke wasn't a bad guy. Akira sighed and decided to slap himself till he was perfectly fine.

*tap* *tap*

The sounds of his hands hitting his cheeks helped get himself back together.

"Okay…" he said to reassure himself.

"You feeling… better?" asked Ann behind him.

Akira looked back and saw she was still very concerned. Akira's heart once again melted when he noticed how much she cared for him. He was feeling happy about how they felt the same way. He really cared for her too. Deciding to alleviate the tension, Akira walks back to Ann and gives her a big hug.

"Uh-uhm…. Okay?" she said. Ann was a bit confused from the sudden action but she replies happily by wrapping her arms around him as well.

"I love you so much, Ann." he said to her.

Now she was getting red. "What has gotten into him? What was that nightmare?" she thought. At that moment thought she suddenly felt that everything was going to be okay. She decided to reply what was in her heart as well.

"I-I love you too." Ann's cheeks were red. She slowly rubbed Akira's back gently. Calming him down and comforting him.

Akira decided to ask Ann something.

"Ann…"

"Yes, Akira?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Never pose for a painting unless I'm there…"

Ann was confused. Why was he asking him that? She didn't seem to mind though.

"Okay. No problem. I'll make sure to bring you." she said honestly.

"Lastly. Remind me never to eat the secret menu of Big Bang Burger right before a nap."

Ann giggled at his request. They did eat a lot a while ago, she felt.

"Alright. We'll avoid doing that next time." she laughed a little into his shoulder.

She and Akira started to look at each other in the eyes again. She saw a sigh of relief on his face. She kissed him on the cheek as a way to make him feel better. She thought right as Akira smiled from her gesture. He then gave a kiss on her forehead. She felt goose bumps from the action. They then both headed back to the couch. The young couple wanted to enjoy the rest of the early evening being comfortable in each other's arms.


	2. AkiraAnn: Meeting Again Under the Rain

Hey everyone! After contemplating for some time now, I've decided to transform "Lover's Episodes" into a place where I'll put short stories about my four favourite Persona 4 and 5 love interests and not just about Ann. However, I plan to put just a bit more stories about her. My first new addition is this Akira/Ann short story which I thought up on a rainy day. It just clicked in my head. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

It was another rainy day in Tokyo. Once again, people were scrambling to find shelter from the downpour. The rain would usually bring a bit of gloom to their otherwise normal day. It was also another school day. Students were heading to school. One such student was Akira Kurusu. He just got off the station, which would bring him to Shujin Academy. He was quietly waiting underneath the shade in front of a boutique to avoid getting wet. He slightly dries himself off a little from the rain, which slightly splattered him. He was lucky today. He didn't forget his umbrella. Also unlike other people heading to school, he actually had a little extra enthusiasm. This was because last week, he finally confessed his feelings to the girl he loved. And she reciprocated. The rain wouldn't spoil the happiness he felt inside. Looking around he suddenly feels a sense of nostalgia. He looks at the store he was standing in front of and reads the name.

"Jeunesse et beaute? Something seems strangely familiar about this place…" he thought.

He feels like he's experienced something similar before. An encounter that held a significant meeting. It was then he remembered why.

This was the spot. The exact same spot he first ever met her.

Ann Takamaki.

He suddenly got good goose bumps remembering the girl who stole his heart. They were total strangers back then. But now, he couldn't imagine a world without her.

"Hey, you! Were you waiting long?" a happy woman's voice asked.

Right on cue, the person he was talking about showed up.

"Hey, Ann. Nope. Just got here." Akira had a huge smile plastered on his face.

He thinks about how even after all this time; her smile still makes his heart skip a beat.

"Exactly like last time…and yet…a whole lot better." Akira thought happily.

Ann once again wore her signature hoodie to protect herself from the rain. She was just as stunning as the first time they met. What was completely different was the atmosphere. No longer was Akira a boy who was lost and alone. He was now confident, happy, and blessed with many friends. Ann was no longer struggling from the abuses of a horrible teacher, and worrying about her best friend. She was also now confident with herself, she exacted justice against the horrible abusive man, and her relationships with the people who were close to her, were better than ever.

"Ready to go to school?" asked Ann happily.

"Yup!" Akira replied.

He brought out his umbrella to shield himself from the rain. It was actually brand new. He bought this large one intentionally because it was perfect to share for two.

"Come join me." Akira smiled as he said.

"O-okay." Ann blushed a little but started to stay close to Akira underneath the safety of his huge umbrella.

As they headed towards school underneath the rain, there was only silence. The couple did JUST get together. The immediate closeness and proximity to one another made them nervous.

"Come on, Akira. Being this close to Ann shouldn't be this bad!" said Akira to himself internally.

"Ann…get a grip. This is just Akira. Sharing an umbrella is nothing! Child's play!" said Ann to herself inside her own head.

"And yet—-"

"And yet—-"

The young couple tries to sneak a peak at their partners, and happened to look at each other in the eyes at the same. Both caught from their action, they hurriedly look away in slight embarrassment. Red all over their faces.

"Gah. I'm such a dork." Akira screamed inside his head.

"Nooo. That was so…stupid of me!" Ann screamed in her head.

After about a minute of walking, Ann was the one who garnered her courage first and spoke up.

"Hey… uhm. Last week… was good… right?" Ann was nervous as she spoke up.

Akira a bit shocked by her question. Was she worried that it was a mistake? That he didn't feel the same way? These thoughts scrambled his mind. He replied quickly.

"O-of course! I'm… really happy about last week." He smiled to Ann.

"M-me too." said Ann. She was finally getting a bit relaxed.

Akira now feels a bit more relaxed too. He decides to share what he was feeling with Ann.

"I-Im sorry Ann. I'm just a bit nervous. Now that I know that we feel… the same way. I'm so conscious being so close to you. I don't know what's alright to do or not anymore." Akira honestly said.

"M-me either, Akira. But… how about we figure it out along the way? If something isn't alright, we just say it." Ann perked up a little as she spoke up.

Akira thought about it and agreed.

"Sounds good! How about…"

Akira sneakily held Ann's free hand. She shuddered a bit. But slowly the two of them started to adjust. It was mostly playful exploring at first. Their fingers feeling their partners own set. Finally, their fingers adjusted and intertwined. Both of them felt relaxed and happy.

"Perfect." Both of them thought at the same time. They both sneaked a peak at their hands. For the two of them, it felt… just right.

"I think this is a good start." said Ann with a smile.

"Yeah. I like it too." said Akira.

Ann then started to lean her head a little on Akira's shoulder. The feeling of warmth enveloped her. Akira himself couldn't be happier from her action.

"This is even better." said Akira. He decides to lean his head a little on hers.

Ann giggles a little. After a quick silence, she spoke again.

"You smell so nice…" said Ann with a small happy voice.

"Really? Uhm, thanks." said Akira. He places a mental reminder to keep using the cologne he used today.

They keep walking. No longer was the silence unnerving. It was perfect. No longer were words needed to be said as they enjoyed their walk to school together. Akira however had one last thing to say.

"Ann… let's meet up like this whenever it rains." said Akira.

"Sounds perfect." said Ann.


	3. AkiraMakoto: The Admiral Challenge

Here it is! My first short story about Akira/Makoto! The more I write about them, the more I like them. Makoto really is a great character. It just goes to show that the people at ATLUS are great story tellers with fleshed out characters if you fall in love with several of them! Anyway! Hope you enjoy this short story of this couple!

* * *

It was another beautiful day in Tokyo. Akira and Makoto decided to visit Shibuya together on an impromptu date. It was also only a few weeks after they officially got together so they were figuring out what fun things to do with each other. The whole "pretend relationship" made them a bit unsure on what is proper for a real date for them. In the end, both of them agreed that whenever they did things together, that's what made them happy. Both of them were hand in hand walking the streets of Tokyo. It took some time, but holding hands with one another became normal and no longer embarrassing to do in public. In fact, whenever they hung out, both of them subconsciously searched for their partner's hand. The feeling of warmth shared between their hands was a soothing reminder of their feelings for one another.

As they talked about the sights around them, something caught Akira's eye.

"Hey, Makoto. Look at that. There's a new challenge at Big Bang Burger."

"A new challenge?" asked Makoto.

Akira then realised that Makoto mustn't frequent at Big Bang Burger often. She tends to eat a lot healthier than he does. Not that Akira doesn't like regular food. Unfortunately his diet consists of quickly made meals, and the curry he gets from Sojiro due to his budget restraints. He decides to inform Makoto about his previous challenges.

"At Big Bang Burger, they used to offer food challenges for only 500 yen. Every time you'd accomplish one, you'd be rewarded with a title. I've done three of them so far. I'm a "captain."

Akira then gave his signature cool glair. He was actually proud of his accomplishment. He remembered Morgana's shocked face after he finished the cosmic tower. He then shows a picture of what he ate to Makoto.

"Wow. That is impressive." Makoto honestly says. She however shows a concerned expression after.

"I hope you're not eating junk food all the time. I'm worried about your health, Akira."

Makoto with her free hand caresses his cheek which showed her true concern for him. Akira's heart melted. He really did love her.

"No worries, Makoto. I don't frequent here EVERYDAY." He laughs a little.

"Good. So what was this challenge you're talking about?"

The two of them approach the store window and reads the poster with the details.

"The New Admiral Challenge! A True Fight to the Top! Anybody can join! Participation is 1500 Yen! If you complete the challenge in 1 hour you'll forever be immortalised on our wall as an "ADMIRAL." You also get the meal for FREE!"

Akira's sudden competitive nature suddenly sprang up. He had to do this. To his surprise when he looked at Makoto reading the poster, he noticed a sudden flare in her eyes. Could she be interested he thought. Before he could ask her to join, Makoto spoke up.

"This sounds like fun, do you want to do this together?" asked Makoto with a sweet smile.

Akira was shocked. His girlfriend wanted to join this competition? His coolness rating for Makoto went up another notch. Which was pretty high up considering she rode a badass Persona motorcycle.

"Uhm…Sure! Sounds great!" said Akira.

They both entered the store and approached the counter for them to join.

The waitress brought them to separate tables and informed them of the rules.

"Remember. If you lose, you have to pay the entire 1500 yen. if you win, you eat the meal for free and you will become…a LEGEND." said the waitress.

The way she said it made Akira get pumped up. He saw Makoto was excited in her own cute way.

"I wonder if Makoto can finish it? I saved up enough money anyway for this date to pay for both of us if we both end up not finishing." Akira thought to himself.

He knew the reality of the situation. Makoto was a slim girl. He wasn't expecting her to finish. Maybe he wouldn't finish either. But either way, he was going to have fun with her today.

After what seemed like 15 minutes, the burgers arrived.

They were MASSIVE.

If the Cosmic Tower Burger was bigger than his head, and contained 6 patties of meat, this was at least twice that size. A giant stick poked through the entire thing so you can hold the burger from both ends. Gooey cheesy covered the entire burger. It was dripping gooey hot everywhere. He counted the patties and found at least 10 massive slabs in between the bread and veggies. They were a bit thicker than the ones from the cosmic burger. It was a behemoth.

Akira was slowly psyching himself up. He couldn't even see Makoto's face anymore from the other side of his burger. He looked around to check if she was alright. To his surprise, Makoto was giddy in excitement like a young girl at her table around the corner.

"You alright? Ready to go? asked Akira.

"Oh! Sorry! This is going to be so much fun!" Makoto said.

The waitress came back and asked them if they were ready. They both nodded and she brought out a timer.

"On your mark. Get set. Go!"

Both Akira and Makoto began eating.

Akira grabbed the huge burger with all his strength and began chomping away. He practiced and practiced before so he remembers the proper technique in eating large quantities of food. What made the challenge easier was the fact the burger was absolutely DELICIOUS. Every bite was a little bit of burger heaven. He was actually kind of sad he had to gulf down this beauty and not savour every bite. He slowed down for just a moment to check on Makoto. As he saw around his stack, he noticed a calm, poised and steady paced Makoto eating her burger with a fork and knife.

"Really? A fork and knife?" he thought.

It's not like Makoto doesn't know how to normally eat a burger. He's seen her eat one before with her hands. He questioned her style again but realised that everybody has a technique. There really was nothing wrong with using utensils. In fact, it kind of added to her charm again. A smile plastered on his face. After his short pause, he goes back into facing the behemoth.

After what seemed like forever which was only 30 minutes, Akira finished half his burger. But he was dying. He saw the huge stack left in front of him.

"You are my Everest." He says.

He goes back in. He adjust his belt just a little bit to give him the extra room he needs. He wasn't going to give up. The food stopped tasting good after some time as his body screamed.

"STOP! STOP! NO MORE!" his stomach cried out.

Akira however kept on going. After another 25 minutes, he saw that he was at least 80% done with his burger. But that left him with 2 large patties. He was getting a bit disoriented.

"I… I have to do this. I must become an ADMIRAL!" he said.

He slowly forced more of his burger into his mouth. Slowly chewing. The burger. The veggies. The cheese. Slowly. Slowly.

It was too late though.

*Ring Ring*

"Time's up!" said the waitress.

Akira left his head face first on the table.

He couldn't do it. He wasn't worthy. He was however kind of relieved. He felt like he never wanted to eat again. It was at this moment that he remembered he had someone who accompanied him.

"How did Makoto do?" he thought.

"We have a winner!" said the waitress loudly.

"WHAT?!" Akira suddenly said.

He looked at his girlfriend and saw she had and empty plate in front of her. She was slowly and elegantly wiping her mouth with a tissue. It looked like she didn't make a mess at all. Her plate looked spotless.

"HOOOWWWW?!" Akira's mind screamed. It was going overdrive.

Makoto looks around innocently and sees the waitress approach her with a medal and asks to take her picture. She had a surprised face.

"Is it over already?" with a cute shocked face.

"Why yes! You did it ma'am! Congratulations! You are our first ADMIRAL!"

"M-me?!" Makoto had a cute happy face.

The lady takes a picture and tells her the next time she visits, she will have her face on the wall of fame.

"Oh my… it's a little embarrassing." Makoto's face was turning red.

Akira was still dumbstruck. The only thing which went through his head was "Where did all the food go?!"

After the initial shock, he finally walks up to her with a smile.

"Oh my God. Makoto! You did it! Congratulations!" said Akira.

He goes in for a hug but both of them suddenly wince a little. They giggle a little at each other as they both know the reason why. Their stomachs didn't feel like being touched by the pressure of a hug. He helps her up from he seat.

"Thanks Akira. It's too bad you didn't get to finish yours… Maybe you can take the rest home for take-out?" said Makoto.

"Hmm. Maybe." said Akira.

After paying for his unfinished meal, the two of them decide to head back home.

As they start to walk back hand-in-hand, Akira had to ask her his burning question.

"Makoto…How… did you do that? That was amazing!" said Akira honestly. He really thought Makoto was more incredible than ever.

"Is it that amazing?" Makoto was embarrassed.

"I…I don't know. Sis used to tease me that I used to eat a lot as a kid." Makoto looks away from Akira's face due to feeling a bit of shame.

"But…you've showed me pictures of you from when you were a kid. You were always so… SLIM. Where does your food go?!" asked Akira. He was more curious than ever. His girlfriend had a bigger appetite than she thought.

"I-I'm not sure. I don't think I can eat like that again for a very long time. You're making me more embarrassed, Akira." Makoto's was face was turning even more red.

"I'm sorry! It's just…wow. Haha. Seeing this other side of you… is really cool." said Akira.

"You really think so?" asked Makoto.

"Yea-yuh. You're like… Jughead."

"You mean the guy from the Archie Comics?"

"Yeah." Akira laughed a little with a comforting smile.

Makoto started to feel a little lighter as she saw that Akira wasn't making fun of her for eating a lot. She smiled back as well.

"Y-yeah. I guess so." she giggled.

"By the way. I do want one more thing as a last taste." said Akira.

"Oh? What's that?" asked Makoto.

Before she could react any quicker, Akira swooped in a made a quick but deep kiss on Makoto's lips.

"Mmm-!"

Makoto mumbled a little. She was red.

"Akira! How…How could you! I-I wasn't ready!" said Makoto. She wasn't angry at his action though.

"My mouth must taste like burger..mmmm…." she pouted and sighed a little.

Akira gave her a thinking look and answered with a devilish smile.

"Hmmm. No not really…. It actually tasted sweet to me." He winked.

"Oh shut up…" Makoto shoved him a little as they continued to head back home.


	4. AkiraMakoto: A Sweet Proposal

Author's Note:

I've been meaning to write a proposal story for Makoto for some time now. It was originally this other idea but a colleague of mine got recently engaged and when I learned how he proposed to his girlfriend, I was inspired. So yes, this story is based on someone actually proposing like this! It just goes to show that if you truly love a person and he/she loves you back, it shouldn't matter if the ring you give is made of gold or made from an onion (ehem Homer Simpson). Love can unite two people together.

Also, I wanted to write first a moving in together story of Makoto, but yeah, because of what happened recently, my hands just continued typing and typing. I'm planning to release my Yu/Rise and Yu/Yukiko stories soon too.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

It all started many years ago. Makoto clearly remembers it began on the day of her last school festival. After an embarrassing time on stage due to being unable to answer, Akira stood up and declared to the entire student body.

"I've always loved you, Makoto Niijima!"

Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. Her voice leaked out with a bit of a squeal that then became audible from the nearby mic.

"What?!"

Akira would tell her later on how cute she looked and sounded on stage. How red her cheeks were that night. There were cheers of people saying "way to go!" for being so open. The inquiry of what was her relation to the brave boy was made. Thankfully the host decided not to push further. Makoto and Akira escaped and headed for the school rooftop to be alone. Feeling like a fool she however was surprised to find out that Akira's announcement was to help her out. Feeling the warmth, dependability, and kindness from him, Makoto started to speak what was on her mind.

"This may be a little rude to say, but you're surprisingly reliable in a pinch. My sister always says if I get married, my husband should be someone dependable like that."

At first Makoto felt glad for getting that off her chest. Which is what she truly felt about him. Then it came crashing down, the realization that she mentioned a topic so heavy as marriage when they were only dating for a few months at that point. It was another type of embarrassing. She wanted to take it back. Akira hasn't spoken up yet either. She tried to.

"Oh, um… uh… forget what I just said!"

"…" Makoto mumbled as she blushed.

Akira though with his calm demeanor, gave his signature cool glair and smirked.

"Can you say that again, Makoto?" He had an eyebrow raised.

"Oh…um…"

Makoto was speechless. She remembered feeling like he would be the death of her if he continued teasing her like that.

"…Urgh!" Another pout and mumble escaped from her mouth.

That was the first time marriage was ever brought up between the two of them.

The next time was less than 2 months later.

They were in the middle of a study session with all their friends in LeBlanc. As they were talking about the future and growing up, Sojiro mentions how aside from an education, common sense is essential as an adult. He then leads to how common sense is essential in marriage.

"Then when you get married, you'll need common sense more than ever." said Sojiro.

A quick pause occurred between the friends as they pondered. Makoto was also curious again about the possibility of getting married. She however was calm as she listened to everybody speak. What flustered her was Ryuji's question.

"Marriage, huh… Do you wanna get married, Akira?"

She recalls how her heart stopped for a moment. She sneakily gave a look at Akira as he pondered on the question. It was only a moment then as he rubbed the back of his head, before he gave his answer.

"Of course." Akira's face was honest and charming as he said so.

Makoto's heart skipped a beat. "Did that mean…?" her thoughts swirled on the possibility that he also wanted to get married to her eventually. Her voice leaked out.

"Really…?" Makoto's cute voice said with a blush.

Akira noticed and smiled. Thankfully at that moment everybody else was busy thinking about whether they were going to get married themselves to notice the short interaction between the two of them. Makoto later spoke to him in private about that little bit of info.

"Akira…just to clarify. What you said…did you mean it?"

Akira knew what she was talking about and decided to hold both of Makoto's hands.

"Makoto. Of course I meant it. But… I'm sure you'd agree… it's a bit early to get married, don't you think?"

She smiled at his comment and nodded.

"Yeah. It's just a nice thought… to look forward to… because I agree… I want to get married." Makoto leans in as she places a quick peck on Akira's cheek. She lets go of Akira's hands as she starts to head the opposite direction. She slowly walked with her hands behind her back. She thought of something to say before leaving. She wanted to tease him for once.

"The question is… I wonder who will I get married to?" She winks back at him.

She hopes it was a good enough tease. She looks back and sees a nice smile plastered on Akira's face as he laughed a little. Red permeated on his cheeks.

"Yup. That did the trick." Makoto thought.

However the next time the discussion of marriage came up again, both Akira and Makoto were already working. It began again in the apartment they lived together in. It was actually a passing comment.

"You know, we've been together for nearly 8 years, Akira." said Makoto. She was packing up their lunches for work as Akira cleaned the dishes from cooking that morning.

"Really? Been that long? Now that you mention it, a lot has happened since we first met." Akira thinks back to all the good memories since.

"From school mates, to becoming a couple, going to university, living together, and now both of us are professionals….Yeah a lot has happened." Makoto happily said.

"What's next is marriage." Akira said without thinking.

The couple stopped for a moment. Both of them were quiet. They both knew they wanted to get married eventually but after being busy for so long, it was pushed aside. Makoto was the first to break the silence.

"Ehem…Y-yes. Of course. Of course. Marriage is…the next step." she said a bit nervously.

"R-right. But only when we're ready!" said Akira quickly.

"Yes. Agreed!" Makoto quickly replied.

Another silence between the two. They stared at each other for a bit as they felt like timid teenagers in love once again.

"Do you feel… ready?" asked Akira.

"I-I think so.… Are you?"

"I-I think so too…" Akira's face was red.

"Well… it seems we're both ready…! W-we should get married then!" said Makoto. She was a bit nervous. Everything was moving so fast.

"R-right….Yeah. We should tell everybody the good news!" Akira himself sounded a bit nervous as well.

Another silence happened between them. Makoto's heart was racing. Maybe they weren't ready just yet. She did want to get married to Akira but this sudden announcement of marriage was just too much for her heart. She looked towards Akira and she realizes that he might be feeling the same way but was currently thinking of something to say to slow it down. It dawned on him.

"Wait! Makoto! Silly me. Of course! You can't get married without a proposal! I haven't proposed to you yet!" said Akira.

Makoto took cue at his statement and nodded.

"O-of course! You're right! You can't get married without a proposal…Hehe. Remember! You only have one real shot at this! You have to make it count!" Makoto said with a wink.

Both of them were sighing in relief as they found a way to slow down the train of marriage, which was building up so much speed for the both of them. After a minute…the both of them smiled at each other and laughed.

"No rush?" Makoto said.

"No rush." Akira nodded.

After a few minutes, both of them left for work at the same time. As they closed the door to their apartment, Akira decided to say something.

"So…you want to get married now?" Akira said in his usual teasing voice.

Makoto raised an eyebrow. She could tell that he was just joking at that moment.

"So…is this your proposal? Because if it is, I might have to say…no."

Akira laughed and so did Makoto. Thus began Akira and Makoto's joke proposals and talks about marriage. The next few months, Akira would ask Makoto if she was ready to get married in the most random of places. Ranging from the supermarket, to the movie theater, while they were brushing their teeth at home, and driving to places. Makoto would reply with a cute "nope."

"Ready now?"

Akira and Makoto were currently eating dinner at home. Makoto didn't even look away from her food as she replied.

"Nope."

However, a smile curled on her face. She enjoyed these little teases of theirs. In fact, it kind of made her excited for when it was the real deal. Ever since they started, she's felt the atmosphere change between them. That they were actually leading to marriage for real.

"One of these days, I'm going to make you say yes." said Akira.

"Well. We'll see." Makoto said with a happy tone.

One particular joke proposal of Akira was a bit different. The two of them were watching a nice action movie together on their couch in the apartment when Akira began with his "proposal."

"Want to get married now?"

Makoto looked at him and saw his signature smirk. She decided to reply differently today.

"You know… after how many proposals, I've realized…you don't even have a ring to propose to me with… so it's a no." Makoto said with her signature calm voice.

Akira adjusted in his seat and looked at her. He thought for a moment before he spoke.

"Okay. What if I give you a "Ring Pop?" Would that do? So we can prepare the wedding already." he smirked once again.

"A ring pop?"

She recalls what it was. It was a plastic finger ring where the "jewel" was a candy shaped like a large diamond. A children's candy treat for sure. Makoto couldn't help but laugh.

"Hahaha. No! If you do that, I'm going to say no. You only get to ask once, remember!" Makoto said.

"Fine… Fine. You win this round." Akira looked away again with a smile as they continued watching the movie.

The new few days were normal but a monumental event happened the next week. Akira invited Makoto to walk around the park together. A change of pace for once in the suburban jungle of Tokyo. Makoto agreed easily. A nice leisurely stroll was a great change of pace. As they walked together hand in hand, Akira spoke his mind about the beauty of the park.

"It's beautiful isn't it? The cherry blossoms are wonderful." he had a dreamlike tone as he appreciated the nature around him.

"Yes. Yes it is." Makoto agreed wholeheartedly.

As they walked to a part of the park that was quieter with less people, Akira began to speak once again.

"You know… we could be doing this for the rest of our lives. I'd be really happy with that. But…"

"But what?" asked Makoto.

"But… I'd like to do something with you before the rest of forever."

Akira then begins to get down on one knee.

"Oh my God." Makoto thought. "Is this for real this time?" she wondered.

Akira slowly brings something out from his jacket pocket. What he brings out was…

"A ring pop?" Makoto blurted out what she saw her boyfriend bring out.

"Will you marry me?" he asked once again.

Akira was in a classic proposing position on one knee. His face looked serious. His pose was perfect. The atmosphere was just right. The only thing out of place was the strawberry flavored diamond shaped candy on the finger band being presented to her. Once again, Makoto laughed.

"Hahahahahaha!"

She was tearing up a little. She really loved the boy in front of her. She recalls she warned him that if he did this, she would definitely say NO. But she couldn't in her heart say it anymore. What he did here was so perfect and unexpected. She loved it and she loved him. The only thing left was…

"Yes…"

Makoto was wiping away the small tears from her eyes. She was half laughing and crying at the same time.

"Really?" Akira's voice was perking up.

"YES! Of course I'll marry you!" Makoto nodded as she looked at the boy down on one knee in front of her.

"Makoto, you've made me so happy!" Akira was all smiles. He holds Makoto's left hand and starts to put it on her. Makoto decides to clarify though the situation.

"Well. You win. You've made me say yes. And I meant it. But next proposal, I hope there's an actual ring." Makoto teases Akira again as she looks at the ring pop on her hand. She however notices something was off.

"Uhm. Akira. Wrong finger. You don't put it on the pinkie finger right?"

Makoto didn't notice the mistake right away due to all the emotions of the moment. She begins to place it properly on her actual ring finger but is stopped by Akira again.

"Nope. Didn't make a mistake."

Makoto notices he's still on one knee and that he's getting something else from his pocket. He then takes out what appears to be a black box. He opens it and inside was…

A beautiful ring with a lovely diamond on top.

"Oh my God…" Makoto said. She was breathless.

"Makoto Niijima. Will you marry me…FOR REAL this time." Akira smiled and laughed a little.

Once again, laughter came from Makoto.

"Hahaha!"

She couldn't believe it. Her heart was so full right now from everything happening.

She looks at the beautiful ring and the boy she loved and once again answered from her heart.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I'll marry you!" Makoto was saying it full of joy.

Akira once again puts the ring on her finger (the right one this time), and stands up to give Makoto a large embrace, which she happily reciprocates.

"I love you." said Akira.

"I love you too."

They hold onto one other for a moment before leaning back a little. Their arms still around each other's waists. They look at one other with so much love.

"So… how was my proposal?" Akira was smoothly smiling.

Makoto thought for a moment and decided to reply something a bit corny but at the same time perfect.

"It was…. very sweet."


	5. YuRise: Couple Photos at the Beach

Author's Note: First Yu/Rise story! I really love her and I wish there were more stories about her. Here I am, trying to contribute here and there. This is a story that I thought was fun to do. It's a what-if moment if people didn't recognize her right away in public. In fact, I'm sure this has happened where a celebrity isn't recognized right away. Especially in more remote or rural areas where you think they wouldn't show up. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Prologue:

In a small town in Japan with sprawling beaches, two owners of a small hotel were discussing what to do to help market their business.

"Who can we use for our new posters and ads for the hotel? We need a young couple to help capture the youth market. Whatever happened to those kids we talked to the other day?" said Owner 1

"I think we scared them off when we pestered them too much. Damn. They were perfect too. A pretty decent looking couple as well." said Owner 2

"Hmm. Let's check the beach area and see if there are any couples willing to be featured. Only this time, let's give a better incentive." said Owner 1

"Fine. How about a night's stay for two? Not too bad right?" said Owner 2.

"Deal." said Owner 1.

-Present-

In the same town, a young couple happens to be enjoying their time together.

"Senpai! Hurry! We're burning daylight!" said Rise.

Rise and Yu were now both university students enjoying their summer vacation.

"Slow down a little. We're here to relax, am I right?" said Yu with a huge smile on his face.

The young couple has just arrived in this small beach town in Japan. It was perfect for them. Not too crowded, and the locale was beautiful. They really needed a place like this that wasn't full of people swarming Rise for an autograph or a picture. She was still a bit cautious as she wore a huge sunhat and glasses to "slightly" cover her face. Problem was, Rise was already in her bikini outfit. Even if people didn't notice her face, she still had her world-class figure which guys would go "goo-goo" for. It was a sad reality but men tend to notice this about her right away. Yu would recall several times he had to halt the advances of guys trying to hit on her. At the same time, he was kind of proud. He stole the heart of a girl like her. Everyday he woke up, he thanked the heavens he met Rise Kujikawa. She was a beauty inside and out. He loved her.

"Yeah! But I want to spend more time with you on the sand and not just here in the parking lot." Rise stuck her tongue out playfully to her boyfriend.

Rise was really excited for this trip. Yu wasn't the only one who felt lucky. Rise felt she was blessed the day she met Yu Narukami. Even though it was through "unfortunate" circumstances, she would never regret meeting and falling in love with him. Yu was actually a good-looking guy himself who stole more hearts than he knew. It wasn't just his looks but his good personality, which attracted plenty to him. Rise would pout here and there when a girl would flirt with him and he'd be a bit dense. Now she had him all to herself in this remote paradise.

"Okay. Okay. Haha. I'm coming." Yu slowly catches up to her. He just changed into his own swimming shorts. The excitement coming from Rise was slowly infecting him as his heart slowly yearned to see the beach up close.

"It's been so long since we've gone on a trip with just the two of us! Come on!" Rise giggled as she teased her boyfriend with her happy voice.

Yu's energy was brimming as he charged at her and lifted Rise off her feet, carrying her in a princess carry.

"Ooof! Senpai! Be careful!…" Rise's face was red with delight.

"I'm never letting you go." Yu teased as he kissed her happily in his arms. She happily kissed him back.

"I might be tempted by your offer." said Rise after the warm kiss.

Yu then carries Rise until they reach they edge of the beach. He puts her down so she can feel the sand below her feet.

"This is so wonderful! I'm so happy we found this place!" Rise was giddy with excitement. She pulls Yu's hand as she heads towards the water. There they feel the coolness of the water as the waves hit their feet.

"I wish we could do this more often, Rise." Yu's smile was infectious while he held Rise's hand as they walked along the waves.

"Me too." Rise gazed into her lover's eyes.

The two lean in for another quick kiss. The brevity of it didn't hide the feelings felt within each of them. Love.

The two decided to explore further while walking along the shore. The town had a few interesting hotels located near the beach. They wanted to see the architecture unique to this place. It was also one of the reasons why they noticed this town.

"So… Senpai… just like you said, this was a semi-spontaneous trip but just in case… I brought clothes for an overnight stay." Rise said with a smile.

"Great. I wish we could have planned something a bit more concrete. But when I found out both of us were free this weekend, I had to take this chance." said Yu.

"No! No! I'm not complaining! This is fun! We'll have better prepared adventures in the future, but this is different… in a good way." Rise said with a comforting tone.

"Thanks… I'm glad you feel that way. Maybe if we find a nice place to stay—"

However, before he can speak further, Yu was interrupted from a voice calling out to them.

"Excuse me! You there! Yes! You! The young man with silver hair!"

Yu realizing the voice was calling out to him looks around to find the source. He turns around and then sees a couple of older gentleman. Most likely in their 30s.

"Yes? Can I help you sir?" asked Yu.

Rise on the other hand was trying to avoid a straight gaze from the two to avoid getting noticed.

"Young man. Are you by any chance looking for a place to stay for tonight?" asked the first man.

Yu was surprised by his question, but cautious. He replied however honestly.

"Yes. Why?"

"Well. My partner and I actually run a hotel nearby. I can honestly say it's top tier among these parts. Especially since everything was refurbished, redecorated, and updated to cater to youthful people planning to enjoy a nice weekend." The man gives him a nice wink.

"Okay? I'll drop by later to check it out." Yu starts to head out with Rise when all of a sudden the man tried getting their attention again.

"W-wait! I'm not finished. I'm not just telling you about it. We're offering you…and I'm guessing the girl beside you, your girlfriend, a free night's stay!" said the man.

Yu and Rise looked back and gave each other a cautious but curious look at one another. Yu turned again to the two men.

"A free night's stay? What's the catch?" Yu and Rise agreed it sounded too good to be true. There must be something.

"Well. We'll offer you a free night's stay in exchange, we'd like to feature you and your girlfriend over here in some of our promotional ads for our hotel!"

Rise gave Yu a cringe-y look. They must have noticed her right away she thought. Yu however felt this wasn't exactly the case. He wanted to ask more.

"Why us? What makes us special?"

The second man decided to speak up after Yu's question.

"Well… to be honest, we had another couple who volunteered but backed out. We were looking for some fresh young faces and we saw you two walking a while ago on the beach. The chemistry you two have with one another was quite heartwarming. Plus add the fact that you my boy, you're quite good looking. Your girlfriend over here looks like she can be a model herself!"

Rise and Yu gave another look to one another. Is it possible they didn't know who she was? It was Rise this time that spoke up.

"So sir, there's no other reason why you'd like the two of us to be in your ads?" asked Rise.

"Well…what other reasons should there be? You two look like quite the lovely young couple. Are we missing something?"

It was then Rise giggled a little. She felt relieved that these two men didn't recognize her. At least that's what she felt.

"You know, come to think of it, did anyone tell you that you look like a movie star young lady?" said the first man.

What happened next was an elbow to the gut given by the second man to the first.

"That's enough flattery. I think they get the point that they'd be great."

"Owww. Alright… Alright." said the first man.

Rise laughs again and replies.

"No sir. Nobody has ever told me that. That's quite the compliment." said Rise.

"So are you two interested?" asked the second man.

Rise and Yu decide to talk in private at the side. After a short deliberation, they go back and tell them their answer.

"Sure! Sounds like fun! We'd like to take your offer." said Yu.

"Great! It's not much really. Just a few photos and that's it! Easy!" said the first man.

Yu and Rise were listening closely to what they were being asked to do. The two men said they'd come back with the equipment needed for the shoot. While they were away, Yu looked back at Rise and was curious why she was all right with doing this.

"Any reason why you agreed so easily after all that?" asked Yu

"Well… I've been in tons of commercials and ads since I was younger… but I've always wondered if you and I will ever work together. I thought this was our chance. I dreamed we can do something fun like this!"

"Ohh… I see. Well, I am kind of excited. You're MY senpai right now. So please guide me." Yu laughed.

"Haha. All right. No worries. This will be fun!"

Soon the two men come back with some professional looking camera equipment. They asked to follow them to the beach where they will take a few pictures.

"Alright you two, all we need is for you to be natural! Just… do couple things while on the beach! We're going to highlight how it's a beautiful place for couples! After that, a few more shots near the hotel, is that alright?"

Yu and Rise suddenly felt a little shy with camera shy. They remembered how they used to hide the fact that they were a couple, and now here they were, out in the open for everyone to see.

"Uhm. Alright… We'll do our best." said Yu a bit nervously. Rise giggled as he noticed her boyfriend shaking a little.

"No worries. I'm right here beside you." Rise then gives a warm hug to Yu. He finally starts to calm down.

"See! Like that! That's perfect!" The 2nd man said. He takes a quick snapshot of the two of them in their embrace.

The rest of the shoot went pretty smoothly. The two men just followed Rise and Yu while they enjoyed the sights for a while. The young couple decided to be a bit natural. They tried imagining what to do along the beach if there wasn't a camera crew following them around. It was mostly holding hands while walking along the beach. They tried sitting together on a nearby bench and relaxed a little. The men took a shot of them from the back as they looked towards the beach. They showed them the pictures after and both Rise and Yu agreed they looked nice. The men however asked for one last shot near the beach.

"Okay. I know this might kind of sound wrong coming from a stranger…but would you guys be all right with a kissing photo by the beach? You guys don't actually have to kiss but I want a shot where you're leaning in right before it, and the background is the beach. Is that alright?" asked the first man.

Yu and Rise turned a shade of red. Both of them were wondering if it was all right with their partners. Yu looked to Rise as he leaned his head near hers. She whispered into his ear saying it was okay with her. Yu nodded.

"We're… okay with it." replied Yu.

"Alright!" said the second man.

Yu and Rise began to look and hold one other. They've done this a hundred times before, the build up to the kiss. This however became a lot more difficult because there were people watching. Yu laughed a little to alleviate the tension building. Rise smiled in returned, which helped Yu relax as well. Slowly, the young couple began.

Their hands holding…

Their faces start to close in….

Their foreheads on one another as Rise tiptoes to be within reach of Yu's lips.

The feeling of their breaths hitting one another.

They were so close. Only a few inches before contact. Their hearts began to beat so loud as they moved closer and closer…It was just a bit more till….

"Okay! That was perfect! We got the shot!"

The words of the man broke the spell between them. They nearly kissed again. In fact, both of them were left wanting. They craved for each other's lips. Red still on their faces.

"Thanks you two! Just a few pictures at the hotel, and right after that, we'll reward you with that night's stay! Meet you there in a bit!" said the second man.

The two men walked ahead as Rise and Yu were left alone together. Nobody else was at that part of the beach at that time. Total privacy. They were so close to one other. No words were said.

The couple was speechless. Their breaths were a bit ragged. Their eyes desperate. They looked at one another and they both knew. They wanted more.

Rise and Yu began passionately kissing one another. It was deep and playful as they were trying to explore the mouth of their partner with their own. The electrifying feeling of each other's lips spread through their bodies. After a good minute of lips enjoying lips, they stopped. Breaths a big ragged once again.

"That was…" Yu spoke up a little. Still a little breathless.

"Incredible." Rise finished his sentence. Her eyes half open as she looked up to him.

Yu nodded. They were once again interrupted by a voice calling out to them.

"Hey kids! The hotel is this way!" said the first man.

Yu and Rise replied that they were following. They giggled to one another as they slowly walked to the hotel.

"Hey Rise… I hope you know… after that kiss… I intend to follow up with a lot more… tonight." said Yu with a bit of a tease.

"Ooooooh Senpai…how bold!…but…I sure hope so" Rise said with delight. She then began acting a bit more proper before she continued speaking.

"I'm expecting a romantic offensive of overwhelming proportions." said Rise sounding like a "classy noblewoman". It was a dignified but teasing tone.

"Alright then… my lady." said Yu with a small bow and huge smile.

The two of them head to the hotel to finish the shoot. The rest of the night indeed was one filled with romantic moments between the two young lovers.

The next week however, when the ads were released, the occupancy for the hotel soared. They became fully booked for the rest of the summer. Apparently, a rumor spread that a girl who looked like Risette stayed in their hotel with an unknown boyfriend. People came with pictures of their online ads, trying to confirm with the hotel about seeing her, and other people wanting to relive the romantic moments in the ad. The business owners were baffled and unsure whether or not the couple who they did take photos of were the said "Risette" and boyfriend. But in the end, they were pleased with the overwhelming amount of customers.


	6. YuYukiko: Relationship Revealed

Author's Note:

Here's my first Yu/Yukiko story for this compilation! A story I wanted to make when I thought about how Yukiko would tell Chie about her relationship. This story is also to show my small support for the pair. Hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

It all started on a normal lazy afternoon. The young couple was enjoying their private time in the room of Yu Narukami. He was snuggling in close with his girlfriend, Yukiko Amagi. On days like these, what brought them happiness was being physically close to one another such as cuddling on a couch while watching a movie. Yukiko kept snuggling in closer, which Yu happily accepted. He loved how cute Yukiko was as she adjusted where she was leaning on him. Every once in a while they'd tease each other with simple requests. Today it was Yukiko who started with cute requests.

"Yu-kun. I want… another kiss."

Yu didn't say a word as he happily obliged with her request. She turned her head towards his as he planted a warm sweet kiss on her lips. Every kiss was electrifying and addicting. Yu felt he was the luckiest man in the world that he gets to kiss this beautiful girl so easily like this. They let go and he presents her with a big smile.

"You're beautiful." he whispers to her.

"Oh…stop that. You're making me blush even more." said Yukiko. But she looked up at him with a longing look.

"But I'm not yet done. One more!" said Yukiko.

Once again, Yu and Yukiko enjoy another sweet kiss. This time with a bit more passion. Yukiko straightened herself out as she wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying the kiss. After they both felt satisfied, they let go and relaxed on one another again on the couch. Yu let out a sigh of contentment.

"I wish we could do this all the time." said Yu.

"Me too…" said Yukiko.

However, what caught Yu's eyes was Yukiko's facial expression changing into a bit of a sad one. He got worried and had to ask.

"Is something wrong, Yukiko?"

Yukiko looked up to Yu, looking like she was thinking hard. She took in a breath of air preparing to speak.

"It's nothing really. I'm super happy about us getting together. Everyday with you feels like a dream come true! But… I'm wondering about when can we tell our friends about our relationship? I want to especially tell… Chie."

Yukiko looked a bit gloomy. Yu understood why. The two of them promised to keep their relationship quiet for the mean time in between all the investigations. But he too wanted to be open about their relationship. Yukiko's desire to tell Chie of all people was because she was her best friend. He was sure she felt bad from hiding something so big as getting into a relationship from her. The fact that they both felt they wanted to tell their friends already made it clear that's probably what they should do soon.

"Actually Yukiko… I want to too. We should tell them soon. We shouldn't have to watch our backs when we go on dates. I want to show everyone how I truly feel about you." Yu then places a soft kiss on Yukiko's forehead.

"So you agree? Alright then! When and how should we do it?" asked Yukiko happily.

"I-Im not sure. We should think of something. I mean. It's easy just to say it out loud but maybe we should prepare like a time to gather everybody? Or maybe individually? I want to tell them that I'm in love with you." said Yu with his cheeks turning red.

"Me too… Yeah. We'll think of something. Maybe next week?" said Yukiko with a bit of red on her face from the declaration of love again from Yu.

The two continued to relax for the rest of the afternoon, contemplating what to do next.

-The Next Week-

These last few weeks of school, Chie felt something was odd with her friend Yukiko. She wasn't sure what it was. There were days she thought Yukiko looked like she was blooming. She looked like a ray of sunshine, which spread throughout the class. Happiness personified. Other days, she seemed gloomy for some reason like she was depressed. It was more difficult on those days because those days, their other good friend and classmate Yu was out either due to being sick or busy with work around campus. There was no one else who could help her out of her gloomy state. She'd try to ask her why but Yukiko would suddenly get a burst of energy saying she was fine. It was strange to say the least for Chie. She had to find out what was up with Yukiko lately. She decided to be sneaky and follow her around today wherever she would go. It was lunchtime so school work wouldn't distract her from checking up on Yukiko.

"Hey guys. I'll just head to the store to buy some food for lunch." said Yu.

Yukiko, Chie, Yosuke and Yu tended to eat together in the classroom. They already had their tables stuck together but were surprised that Yu didn't have any food on him.

"You forgot to bring a packed lunch today, Yu-kun? That's so unlike you." said Chie.

"Well…yeah. Everybody has a day when they're forgetful. Haha. Anyway. I have some work to do during lunch so I'll be back before the next period starts. See ya later." said Yu with a smile.

"No problem. See ya later partner." said Yosuke.

"Yeah. See you later, Yu-kun." said Yukiko.

Chie wasn't sure but she noticed something as Yukiko said goodbye. There was a bit of shaking in her hands. She would remember Yukiko would be like this if she was excited for something. "I wonder why?" she thought. The shaking quickly went away as well and the three friends began enjoying their lunch period quietly. They had at least another 45 minutes of lunch period left when of all a sudden, Yukiko stood up with a shocked expression.

"Oh my! I promised to help out some people in the arts department during lunch. I'm sorry you two but I really have to go!" Yukiko exclaims a little. She starts packing her barely touched lunch as she begins to bring it with her.

"W-wait! Yukiko! Slow down! You really have to go?" Chie was going to lose her chance of watching her today.

"S-sorry! Gotta go! Bye!" Yukiko ran out of the classroom before Chie could continue speaking.

"What's gotten into her?" said Yosuke. He wasn't so worried as he continued to eat his lunch happily.

Chie was determined to follow through with her promise. She quickly ate her tasty packed lunch from home and left Yosuke behind.

"Sorry! Gotta go too!" said Chie to Yosuke.

Yosuke was left alone on his desk. Shocked. Unsure of what to say.

"What is going on with everybody?!" said Yosuke. Feeling like it was probably nothing too problematic, he decided to relax there on his desk as he continued eating his lunch.

Outside Chie was trying to find the direction where Yukiko went. She mentioned the art department so she headed to their room. When she reached the room she checked inside only to find it completely empty.

"Huh? Where'd she go?"

-On the school rooftop-

Yu was patiently waiting for his date on the school rooftop. He prepared a nice blanket for the two of them to sit on while they enjoyed their lunch together. He kept it in a hidden spot on the roof so that whenever they ate there, they can comfortably lie down and relax. He also brought his actual packed lunch here to the rooftop a while ago.

*Swiiiiing*

The door to the rooftop opens and there he sees none other than his girlfriend, Yukiko. He smiles to her.

"Sorry I took so long. I tried my best not to seem like I was going to follow you or anything. I said I went to the art department." said Yukiko with a bit of a giggle.

"It's no problem. Let's have lunch." Yu shows his prepared food.

The two of them sit on the prepared blanket and bring out their lunches. These last few weeks, Yukiko honestly improved a lot with her cooking skills, thanks to the help of the staff from the inn. Yu was her taste-tester and everyday it got better and better.

"I hope you like it!" Yukiko said happily.

She starts feeding him some octopus shaped hotdogs. Yu happily eats one. It's pretty hard to mess up hotdogs and sure enough, they were really good. She also cooked some chicken karaage. He gets a bite from Yukiko and was pleasantly surprised with how tasty it was.

"You've really done great, Yukiko. They're delicious!" Yu smiled warmly.

"Really? You're not just saying that like last time, are you?" said Yukiko. A blush starting to appear on her face.

"I'm not! Let me have another." Yu picks up another piece of karaage and happily chews on it.

"You should taste your food too and not let me have it all though. It's really good." Yu teases.

Yukiko then tastes one of her pieces of chicken and was delighted. She really did do great. Yu then brings out his special omelette and feeds a little to Yukiko. She happily eats it knowing it was going to be good. It was delicious.

After a good 20 minutes, the two of them finished their meals and were lying down together on the nice blanket. They were quiet as they looked towards the sky.

"What a lovely day." said Yukiko.

"Yeah…" said Yu in a dreamlike state.

"You know… we're alone on this rooftop."

Yu's heart beat a little loudly after hearing those words. He looks to his right to see Yukiko with a cute face.

"Ehem. A litte kiss…wouldn't hurt." said Yukiko with a bit of a shy tease.

Yukiko starts to close her eyes. Yu adjusts a little. He starts to go over on top of Yukiko. He slides over trying to be gentle. She was patiently waiting. He leans in a little closer, getting ready to kiss her…

-Back to the 2nd floor- (a few minutes prior)

Chie was scrambling trying to look where Yukiko went. She went through the hallways of school with no clue.

"Where did that girl go?"

She had almost given up when she thought of the last possible place.

"Could she be on the rooftop?"

This was the last place unchecked. She made her way to her group's special spot. Climbing the stairs, she opens the door and sees nobody there.

"Hmm how odd." she thought.

The rooftop however was a bit big and people wouldn't necessarily stay right in front of the door's view. She heads to check around one of the corners where people would stay to hide away from leering eyes. There she hears it. Yukiko's voice.

"Why was she hiding around the corner?" she thought.

She couldn't make out what she was saying but as she was getting close, she could tell she wasn't alone. Chie started walking faster to the source of the voice. She looks around the corner ready to ask her friend what was going on.

"Hey Yukiko. I thought you said were heading to the art depart—-"

Chie then saw a sight she wasn't ready to see. In front of her was a laying down Yukiko on the floor. Eyes closed. On top of her was their friend, Yu Narukami. His head leaning in to what looked like a kiss. Chie's eyes went wide. Yukiko looked like a defenseless innocent girl in her eyes. Yu. A predator.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" shouted Chie.

"Wha-?"

"Wha-?"

*KABAAMM*

"OOOOooooooaaa!—" Yu groans.

What happened was Chie running at high speed doing a great high kick to Yu Narukami's side. The strong impact sent him flying across the rooftop.

"Chhhii….iiieee….Wait…it's…not what it…looks like." Yu was on the side. Crawling. Trying to calm Chie down.

Yukiko was upright too. Trying to help as well.

"Chie wait! I can explai-"

"NO NEED FOR EXPLANATIONS! I've got your back, Yukiko. And to think we trusted you! I thought we were all good friends! BUT you were a PERVERT ALL ALONG! Trying to abuse pure YUKIKO!"

Chie wouldn't listen as she started rambling. She goes to Yu who was still on the floor. She puts her foot down on Yu's stomach. He was frozen and panicking.

"Well, if I die now, at least I found love." Yu was thinking, as he was barely able to move.

"Pleeeaasssee….listen!" Yu used his remaining strength within him to speak up.

Chie had a fire in her eyes. She wouldn't listen to Yu.

"Say goodnight, dirt-bag!"

"Chie! NOOOO! I LOVE HIM!"

It was these words that made everyone freeze.

"Yooouuu….what?!" Chie was in shock. Did she hear her friend right?

"That's right! I love Yu-kun! He wasn't abusing me, taking advantage of me, or anything!"

Chie looks at Yu on the ground. He was desperately trying to nod his head. He finally speaks.

"I love Yukiko too… With all my heart…."

Chie starts to calm down. Her foot no longer on Yu. He steadily starts to stand up. Cleaning himself up. He slowly walks to Yukiko. Yukiko in turn grabs hold of Yu's hand and intertwines her fingers with his.

"So wait…does that mean… that you two are…?"

Yu and Yukiko nodded to Chie's question.

"That's right… We're dating Chie. We have for a while now." Yukiko's face was now red.

There was an awkward silence. It all started to make sense. Chie now felt like an idiot. She was still embarrassed by what she saw but now she felt guilty for kicking Yu.

"Uhmm…sorry about the kick. Hehehe…." Chie said with a laugh.

Yu was rubbing his side before he raised his hand to show he was fine.

"It's alright. I understand why you did it." Yu smiled.

Chie however suddenly got upset again all of a sudden.

"Wait a sec. Why didn't you guys tell me?! Why were you keeping it a secret?" Chie had these fiery eyes waiting for an answer.

"W-well. We were going to tell everyone this week. We hadn't figured out how yet. We wanted to tell you first because you're my best friend Chie." Yukiko was looking down with a bit of guilt.

"We were trying to keep it hidden during the investigations because we felt it wasn't the appropriate time. Then after a while, it became difficult to say it in the open. Sorry…" Yu himself got a little shy from saying so.

Chie suddenly felt a bit calmer after their explanations. Especially with the fact that they wanted to tell her first among their friends.

"Oooohhh… I see…" said Chie with a monotone but serious voice.

She inspects the both of them. Eyes scanning the pair. Seeing if what they said was true. There was a moment of silence. Finally Chie spoke up.

"Yu! Are you serious about dating Yukiko? Do you truly love her and promise to take care of her?" asked Chie.

Yu then realized what she was doing. She was like the protective older sister inspecting the suitor for her younger sister. Chie really did care a lot for Yukiko. He decided to just be honest.

"Yes. I am serious. I promise to take care of her with all that I am." Yu's grip tightened a little on Yukiko's hand. Yukiko felt a bit shy from the action but was really happy.

"Alright then. I guess… I'm okay with it! I mean… I did tease you about you liking Yukiko before and you guys honestly make a good looking couple!" said Chie cheerfully.

A wave of relief fell on both Yu and Yukiko. She was okay with it. Chie then runs towards her friends as they catch her in an embrace.

"I am not okay with what you guys did back there though! Please be more private!" Chie laughed a little.

"Haha. Okay. We're sorry." Yu and Yukiko said in unison.

"Just make sure I'm there when you tell the others. I want to see their faces! Oooh! Also I can help out if you need me to!" said Chie excitedly.

After that incident, the rest of the afternoon went smoothly. Their biggest obstacle was over. Now they had to tell the rest of the group so they can finally be open about how they feel for each other.

"I think we'll be fine." said Yu about telling the others.

"Yeah…I think so too." said Yukiko with a happy smile.


	7. AkiraMakoto: Moving in Together

Author's Note:

Here it is! Another Akira/Makoto story. I had a lot of fun writing this one. I wanted to release this before the Akira/Makoto proposal story I had in mind but things didn't end up that way. This story also ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would and I considered releasing it as a stand alone but I decided it was better in this compilation. As always, hope you enjoy!

* * *

Makoto Niijima awoke to the sound of her alarm. It was a phone alarm she prepared before hand in order to get ready for her morning classes. She dreaded hearing it, but it was a necessary evil. However, the fact that it was a Saturday, and that she had no said classes, made the sound all the more irritable. She reached out to turn it off immediately so that she can slowly enjoy the rest of her morning.

After said alarm sound was gone, she started to relax back again underneath the covers of the bed. Her eyes were half open as she tries feeling around for the other warm body supposedly sleeping beside her only to find it empty. She finally opens her eyes to see that Akira was no longer there. A bit surprised, she looks around the room only to find it devoid of Akira at all. She tries listening outside for noise, and was glad to hear the sound of kitchen work. She deduces that Akira was cooking breakfast for them. She smiles and starts to slowly stretch a little.

Makoto looks around the room once more to see the bareness of it all. Right now, she was at the new apartment of Akira Kurusu. A very nice spacious place, and closer to the university they both went to compared from the distance LeBlanc is. He moved in about 3 months ago and wasn't done fully furnishing everything. In fact, he only just got his refrigerator yesterday. Whenever he bought food before, he only got in small amounts and mostly non-perishables. Now he was relishing in the fact that he can make better tasting food for breakfast without worrying about spoilage.

After classes yesterday, Akira invited Makoto to stay over once again. Last night however ended up being one of their more romantic ones. Right now, Makoto actually was completely devoid of any clothing except for the underwear covering her lower half. The reason being that she felt uncomfortable in the middle of the night and decided to wear her panties before snuggling back underneath the blankets with Akira. She recalls what they did last night and it brought a slight blush. She remembers it being…really good. Akira would tell her all the time that she was "totally amazing in bed." She felt a bit embarrassed whenever he said so but was secretly happy.

Feeling like she was more awake now, she decides to head to the kitchen area and join Akira. She slides over to the side of the bed and starts to look for the rest of her discarded attire. As she looked around the room she realizes she can't find any of her remaining pieces of clothing.

"Where did I…?"

Makoto was starting to shiver. She was practically naked and the fall weather wasn't kind. She had to find her clothes but she couldn't see them anywhere. She knows she's not the type to be messy, flinging her clothes left and right. It was at that moment that she knew something wasn't adding up and deduced it had something to do with the boy cooking out in the kitchen.

"Akira…" she said softly.

She looked around for anything to cover herself up with and found something on a nearby chair, perfectly prepared and laid out. It seemed it was placed there just for her to see.

"Too convenient…"

She decided to play along and wear the piece of clothing.

Outside in the kitchen area, Akira was humming to a tune he heard recently as he was preparing breakfast for Makoto and himself. He wanted to impress the girl he loved with a nice hearty breakfast. He could finally store frozen food he can cook for a later day. With that, he decided to prepare some bacon he bought and stored. He was also excited for the little setup he prepared for this morning.

Right on cue, the door to the bedroom opened. Out came Makoto. Akira couldn't help but awe at the sight of her. She was wearing one of his white oversized polo shirts, also most likely the panties she wore from last night and nothing else. Her cute legs were visible as she tiptoed her way (due to the cold floor) towards him by the stove. She had a smirk with a raised eyebrow as she approached. She didn't say a word until after she did a quick peck on his cheek.

"Good morning, sweetheart." she said.

"Good morning to you too." Akira smiled.

She went to the dining room area and sat by the table. Her legs crossed as she looked at him with a "knowing" look. She knew he was guilty. He however just wanted it to continue. Akira couldn't help but smile. He loved the whole "girlfriend wearing her boyfriends clothes" cliché. The fact that Makoto could pull it off so well made it all the more enjoyable. Finally Makoto spoke.

"So…Akira. Do you happen to know where the rest of my clothes are?" Makoto said with a cute inquisitive voice.

"They're missing? I could have sworn they were in the room a while ago." Akira was smiling widely. He had a teasing voice as well.

"They aren't…so you have no clue where they might have gone?" Makoto said again with a bit of a higher pitched voice. She was playing along with him.

"Sorry sweetie. It's a good thing I had that extra shirt for you." Akira winked back at her.

"Yes…a good thing." Makoto smiled. After a short pause, she spoke up again. She was prepared.

"Okay then, Akira. Here's what I'm going to do. First off, I know you like it when I wear your clothes and personally…I do too. But right now, I'm feeling kind of cold and I at least need my bra before I feel comfortable walking around. So…I'll give you two choices. 1.) You give me back my clothes so I get to change back into them." Makoto had her hand with one finger raised.

"That sounds boring... so what's number two?" Akira teased back.

"I'll continue wearing this for the rest of the morning—-"

"Perfect!" Akira interrupted her.

"Wait. You didn't let me finish. So…I'll continue wearing this for the rest of the morning…but in exchange…I won't prepare anymore packed lunches for you for school for the rest of the semester, and don't expect me to come and stay over like last night for at least…the next 4 months."

Makoto had a look of total control. She played her hand. Akira stopped cooking for just a moment. He was given an ultimatum. As much as he loved seeing his girlfriend look pretty sexy in that outfit, those terms were completely not worth it.

"I'll bring them out right now." Akira said quickly. He stopped cooking for a moment and left the kitchen as he went to a nearby drawer and neatly brought out the rest of Makoto's clothes. He hands it over to her. A look of defeat on his face.

"Thanks so much sweetie. You chose…wisely." Makoto won this round. She would recall back in high school how Akira always had the upper hand on her. Her poor heart would always burst out of her chest when Akira did something quite bold and really romantic. Now she was experienced. Her heart still beat crazy for Akira but now she can be in control in situations like this. Akira liked their new dynamic as well. It was kind of like a cute contest between the two of them.

"I'll be right back." Makoto said with a voice of triumph. She headed to the bathroom to freshen up a little. Akira continued to prepare breakfast as he sighed in defeat.

As Makoto took a quick shower, she thought about the lovely mornings she's had with Akira. Just the two of them. Waking up and having breakfast together always made her happy. Whether it was in LeBlanc, her apartment near campus, or this new one. As long as he was with her, it was special.

As she stepped out of the shower in a towel and headed to the mirror to continue to fix herself up, she began looking at all the things in the bathroom. Akira moved there only 3 months ago, and yet, there were many of her own things in there already. That showed how often she stayed with him. She had her own toothbrush, shampoo and conditioner, perfumes, moisturizers, and more. Akira even prepared for her, her own towel and bought a hairdryer for her personal use. She thought he was really sweet to make it feel like she was at home here.

After a few minutes getting ready, she stepped out for breakfast. She wore all the articles of clothing she wore from the previous night except for the top she wore yesterday. She decided to continue wearing the shirt Akira gave her because it was fresh. She was also glad to finally wear her warm sweater to protect her from the cold. It looked like her clothes were a bit oversized from his polo but she didn't mind with Akira. He definitely didn't mind either.

Akira looked at her come back into the dining area and smiled.

"You look good wearing anything, Makoto."

"Thank you… So what's for breakfast?" said Makoto with a smile.

Akira brought out the bacon and eggs he prepared for both of them. He also prepared two cups of coffee for the nice fall day. Akira sat down with Makoto as they quietly enjoyed their breakfast. As they ate, Makoto continued to look around the new apartment of Akira. She noticed all the boxes unpacked, and the ones not yet opened. The couch and living room area was at least finished with a TV placed there to watch with guests. The said refrigerator was now installed but a lot of other things were still unfinished. She then thought about the size of the place. It was a lovely apartment for sure. But what worried her was the cost. She wondered if Akira could afford it with his part time jobs.

"Akira. I know I've asked this before…but are you sure you can afford this place?"

"Yes…I'm sure I can afford it, sweetie." Akira said again with a warm smile.

"Don't get me wrong…it's a lovely apartment. It's just…since it's spacious, it seems…so much for just one person to pay for… you know?"

"Yeah. But I'll manage. My parents gifted me with a little money and I have my own salary as well. Besides it's perfect right? Really close to the university, not that far away from LeBlanc, and even to your sister's place. Close to the train station as well. It's worth it." Akira happily announced.

"Yeah but…look at it. There're 2 bedrooms. You say you need the extra room for your things but there's already a lot of space to spare. Your room happens to be even larger than normal. There's this lovely kitchen and dining area, with an extended living room to accommodate guests. The bathroom is huge. There's even your own laundry area. You don't need to go out anymore to a public laundromat. It's…It's perfect for…."

She paused. Akira was curious as to why she suddenly stopped talking. It was at that moment that Makoto had a realization. It was TOO perfect. It had everything. But not just for him…but for HER too. It started to click. Why was Akira taking so long in unpacking? It was like he was waiting for something. Even if he did finish, it seemed there would be so much of the apartment left with nothing in it. She then thought about the bathroom and how it had everything for her. Even the bedroom was perfect for the two of them with extra closets and spaces for things. The fact that the location was close to the university, and even relatively close to her sister's place and LeBlanc was just right. Akira must have taken all of this into account. So she starts to make a conclusion.

"This place is perfect…for couples…isn't it?"

Akira looks up from his food due to her question.

"Well…I guess it's pretty good for two people—"

"Akira. Were you going to ask me to move in with you?" Makoto interrupted before he could finish.

Makoto's face was red. She was quiet. Akira himself had a shocked face. He stopped eating.

"Y-you…figured it out…. Damn." Akira said silently.

He looked a bit nervous. He tried to think of something to say. His proposal was figured out before he was ready.

"I-I wanted to fix it up a little more. I wanted to make it special. Surprise you first. Make it more presentable before… before I asked if you wanted to live together. I mean… this isn't the first time we talked about moving in together… but this place was perfect. Someone else was interested to buy the apartment too so I jumped for it before he could. I had to get it for us…"

Then there was silence in the room.

"I-I meant it that I could afford the place. I know it's pricey and if you decide not to move…it's fine too."

Makoto didn't speak up yet still. Akira stood up and went to the side of Makoto. He lowered himself and held both her hands.

"Makoto…I know this might be sudden and it's definitely a big step…but I would love it if you considered…I mean…I would love it if we live together. It's a big financial decision to share an apartment, I know. But I believe were both mature and responsible adults who can handle it. The fact that I get to see you every morning is worth it for me. I love you."

Finally…Makoto spoke up. She looked to be in deep contemplation.

"I mean…yes. We have talked about moving in together…. We practically see each other all the time. Most days of the week, we're with each other but at the same time, we're both responsible and independent people. We just… choose to be with one other."

Akira nodded. That's what made their dynamic perfect. They didn't hinder one another from anything and they weren't too codependent. They were good individually and they were great when together.

"I mean…we've slept in each other's places more times than I can count already and I know your living habits already as well as you know mine." Makoto continued with a voice, which was deducing.

Akira recalls all the things that were difficult and the things that were cute to handle in terms of habits. Bathroom habits were a big discussion for the two of them but that didn't matter for Akira. The two of them were able to push through.

"I-I also agree with the two of us being financially responsible. I remember how much money you saved back during the Phantom Thieves and your thriftiness continued until now." said Makoto.

"You're more economical than I am, Makoto." Akira laughed a little which finally brought a smile to her.

"It's also cheaper to share an apartment instead of having two separate ones." Makoto said as well which Akira nodded to in agreement.

"And…the idea… of living together… enjoying mornings everyday like this with you… is absolutely…. something I would love to happen." Makoto finally said with a hint of joy leaking from her voice.

"Is that a….yes?" Akira's smile began to widen.

"Yes! Akira…Let's move in together!" she started to speak up a little louder. And with that, Makoto jumped into Akira's arms as they held each other sweetly.

"Oh My God. That's great! Makoto. I'm…I'm so excited to live with you!"

"Me too, Akira!"

They were both giggling a little in happiness. They just went past another hurdle in their relationship. They were filled with extra energy from the moment.

"We'll discuss it further. I'm sure. About moving, financing, where to set up where. I'm sure you'll bring a lot of things. Maybe add some bookshelves, etc. I'm willing to do all of it." Akira hurriedly said. He honestly couldn't wait to do all of that with Makoto. In truth… it was like the start of building a home for a family with her. The idea just made him even happier.

"Yes. I have to transfer a lot of things from my own apartment. After that, I'll end my rent and "permanently" live here with you. To be honest, I practically live here with you already. You do keep telling me to leave some clothes here for myself. Now, I'll just move all of it…" she giggled.

After breakfast, they had a long discussion on the planned move. Both Akira and Makoto were honestly a bit scared but were mostly excited for what was to come. They however just knew that their future was going to turn out bright.


	8. AkiraAnn: Secretly Texting

Author's Note:

Hey guys! Another Akira/Ann story. This was something someone pointed out to me on a clip from Youtube. I love these little moments. They can tell so much! Just had to make a story about it!

Anyway! I've been actually slowing down a little with writing stories. It's because I've been catching up on more Persona content. Might watch the P3 Movies And watch the social links for P3 to get a grip of the story. I recently bought the golden version of P4 so I can know all the extra stuff. I'm also planning on buying P4 Arena, and Ultimax to know those stories. Finally, I'll look for a copy of Persona Q so I can be ready for Persona Q2. That's a LOT of content. So, I expect to not release as much unless I suddenly get inspired again to write a story.

Hope you enjoy this story!

* * *

It was another sunny afternoon after school in Tokyo. Here we see the daily life of Akira Kurusu. Ever since he arrived in Tokyo, Akira has had his hands full with plenty of things to do when classes were over. He had his part time jobs to think about, his own personal exercise, laundry work, a bit of recreation to keep himself from going insane, hanging out with friends, homework, house duties, and lastly but not least important… his work with the Phantom Thieves.

Akira was indeed a very busy person. There were days he felt like he was going crazy, other times, he felt very proud of himself for being very productive. Other days, he wished he could do more work in the evenings…but a certain feline friend of his INSISTS that he gets some sleep for the next day. In the midst of all this work though, he was able to find something he never expected to during his year in Tokyo. He found himself a girlfriend.

It just hit him really. From his first unexpected meeting with her in front of a boutique, fighting together against the shadowy version of the teacher abusing her, and then enjoying every single amount of free time he had with her. From strangers, to friends, to now…something more. He truly cared for her. He could now honestly say…he loved her. Ann wasn't the girl he imagined before that he would fall in love with, but now… he couldn't imagine a future without her. He was glad to find out that she loved him too. It was definitely a feeling of bliss. But after the explosive whirlwind of the budding romance between them, it became apparent that they had less and less free time together due to their own responsibilities.

Ann was very busy herself. She was a model for a Tokyo magazine and this also caused inconveniences with meet ups for the two. With the activities of the Phantom Thieves increasing, it became even more difficult. The fact that they kept their relationship a secret from everybody made the situation harder. They had to worry whether or not they were being too close or clingy to one another.

Some of their friends were sharper than the others. The both of them were given curious glares before by Makoto once or twice. Akira did remember a time when Makoto asked whether or not they were "closer" than just friends. This was before she joined the team. At that time he denied it, because it was true at that moment. They weren't anything yet then. He just had a huge crush on Ann. But now, it was 100% true. Makoto noticed the budding romance between she and him long before it became a reality. Now that they were a couple, it was more difficult to avoid certain romantic actions. There was a certain tension between Ann and Akira whenever they were together. They wanted to be more like an ordinary couple.

Going back to where they were now, He and the others were at LeBlanc. All the members of the Phantom Thieves promised to meet every so often after school to get updates from each other, do work together, and if everyone agreed, head into Mementos together to train. Today however was one of those days, where they worked in the real world. They gathered news on possible leads for their next big heist, talked about smaller requests on the Phan-site, and also did their homework together. All in all, just a regular afternoon together in the attic of LeBlanc. Akira however was preoccupied with his thoughts. He wished he were out today with Ann. He was missing the alone time he had with her. Today would have been perfect for a date in between their busy schedules.

He looked around the room and noticed what everyone was doing. They were supposed to be working but he saw different things be done by the members of the Phantom Thieves.

Ryuji was busy reading a comic book. Definitely not working.

Ann was sitting, looking bored on the couch, while she checked her phone.

Yusuke seemed to be enjoying some snacks while looking the other direction. Akira however was glad to see his friend eat more instead of buying more paint materials.

Makoto was looking through several notes. One set of notes about their work on the Phantom Thieves. Another notebook had her homework. Right beside it was another notebook related to Student Council Work. She was the only person seriously working.

Futaba was staring at her laptop screen, mumbling something about her latest RPG. At the same time, she was petting Morgana who was purring and napping at the same time from the nice feeling of comfort given.

Lastly, Haru was enjoying a nice cup of tea as she read something from her garden magazine.

It wasn't exactly a productive afternoon for their group. They usually didn't mind though because they were happy to be with each other, even during the mundane and quite times. Sometimes, a moment of inspiration would happen in these quiet moments and they'd all spring into action whether it was going into Mementos or some other event. Sadly, Akira had a feeling nothing special was happening today. All he wanted was to be with Ann. As he twirled his phone in between his fingers, he decides to text her.

 **" _Hey" he texted._**

After a few seconds, he stealthily looked at Ann see her phone and smile.

 **" _Hey too. What's up?" said Ann._**

 ** _"Nothing much… Just wanted to text you. :) " said Akira._**

 ** _"Oh. Alright. Are you bored too?" texted Ann._**

Ann looked up from her phone to sneak a glance at Akira. He at the same time glanced back and smiled.

 **" _Yeah. I wish we were out doing something fun." texted Akira._**

 ** _"Me too. Why don't we? Let's suggest it." texted Ann._**

 ** _"Actually… I was thinking just the… two of us." texted Akira._**

 ** _"…"_**

 ** _" :) "_**

There was a slight pause. Akira sneaked another glance at her from across the room. Ann's eyes read the message and she glanced up again. Another small sweet smile forming on her face. She adjusted her falling hair to the back of her ear again before she texted back.

 ** _"Oh… I see… Well as much as I'd like to do that with you… it might be a little difficult right now… don't you think? :P " texted Ann._**

 ** _"Yeah…I know. Just wanted to imagine it…"_**

 ** _"…"_**

 ** _" I miss you." texted Akira._**

A small blush began forming on Akira's face. He looked up a bit for a moment and noticed a bit of red forming on Ann's face too.

 _"God. I love her."_ Akira thought in his head. The way she blushed and smiled. Akira thought it was unfair whenever she looked liked that. He felt like melting into a puddle.

Finally Ann replied after getting more composed with herself.

 **" _I miss you too… I know we've been busy lately but… we should have some more time together." texted Ann._**

 ** _"Definitely." texted Akira._**

 ** _"How about later this evening?" asked Ann._**

 ** _"A late night getaway?" replied Akira._**

Akira thought for a moment and realized he was free this evening too. It was perfect timing.

 ** _"Sounds perfect." texted Akira._**

Akira had a huge grin on his face as he looked at his phone. Ann herself unexpected silently giggled a little in delight. It was quiet enough that barely anyone could hear it if they weren't paying attention.

 _*Cough*_

Ann and Akira looked up from their phones for just a moment and began looking where the "cough" came from. It came from a smirking student council president. She was glancing between both Akira and Ann. It was a teasing smile. She first brought out her own phone and started texting as well. It was a message group between the three of them.

 ** _"You two should be working more. If you guys want to keep your relationship a "secret", you should pay less attention to your phones, and more attention with the tasks at hand." texted Makoto to the both of them._**

 ** _"Also…I knew from the beginning there was something brewing between the two of you. Don't worry, I won't tell anybody."_**

Akira and Ann blushed a little and looked towards Makoto. She gave another sweet smile. They began looking around the room if anyone else noticed. They were glad to see that everyone else was too distracted.

 ** _"Since when?" texted Akira._**

 ** _"How?" texted Ann._**

 _"It's pretty obvious whenever you two are together. You tend to perk up and even blush every so often. By the way, stop making it obvious while were here in LeBlanc too. A while ago, you two looked like love-sick puppies." replied Makoto._

Akira was scrambling his brains. They were texting for only a moment. How bad did they look in that span of time?

 ** _"Okay…Thanks for the tip, Makoto." texted Akira._** **He sighed a little as he realized his mistake. They almost got caught.**

 ** _"Yeah…we'll get back to work." texted Ann._**

The three of them decided to be working again. Both Ann and Akira slowly got their textbooks and began reading through their notes. Akira sighed a little, still daydreaming what he could be doing with Ann right now.

A mere ten minutes later, Akira gets a text from his phone.

 ** _"Still bored…" texted Ann._**

Akira looked up and saw Ann was texting in between reading her notes. It was subtle enough to make people think it looked work related.

 ** _"Same…" Akira replied._**

 ** _"Soooo…Later…? What do you want to do?" texted Ann._**

Akira thought for a moment before replying.

 ** _"How about…a nice dinner? There's this new restaurant near Shibuya. People have been raving about it."_**

Ann smiled warmly again in the corner of his eyes.

 ** _"Great idea! Do they have yummy desserts?" asked Ann._**

 ** _"That's why I suggested it. They say their desserts… are to die for. ;) " replied Akira._**

Akira knew that the sweet tooth of his girlfriend would be satisfied with his choice of restaurant. He glanced up again and winked back. Ann once again silently giggled again.

 ** _"You know me too well…Perfect! Can't wait!" texted Ann._**

*Cough*

Once again their friend halted their private conversation. Makoto began texting their private group.

 ** _"Guys…what did I say about being obvious?" texted Makoto._**

 ** _"And what did I say…about working?" she texted as well._**

Akira and Ann sighed.

 ** _"Sorry…"_**

 ** _"Sorry…" they both texted in their private group_** _._

The couple decided to work seriously for the rest of the afternoon. The schedule was set and they were going to meet up in secret later anyway. Akira however couldn't resist. After about two minutes, he wanted to end their text a bit sweetly.

 ** _"Love you, Ann." he texted._**

Ann saw her phone and turned the most red she's been this afternoon. She replied.

 ** _"Love you, Akira." she replied._**

They both turned away from their phones and looked at their work. What they didn't expect was another message after that.

 ** _"Guys…this is our group chat between the three of us…." texted Makoto._**

Silence arose between the three friends.

Ann and Akira blushed and wanted to shout in embarrassment after that…

They all avoid each others' gazes. They ended up not knowing Makoto's face was red too. Embarrassed by being caught in between the two lovebirds.


	9. YuYukiko: Cheating at the Mall?

Author's Note:  
Hey there everyone! I had another moment of inspiration so i wrote this story! Wanted to write about the P4 girls since I haven't in a while! I also haven't been writing as much as before due to other things such as catching up with the other Persona games. I hope I get to reach my goal with writing stories. Anyway! This story is based on a scene in a game where when you hang out with Ai, Yukiko suddenly appears and interrupts. It's a really great scene and I loved Yukiko there. Hehe. Hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

These last few weeks have been really good for Yu Narukami. Aside from all the disturbances from the TV world, his life as a teenager has been quite eventful. He's found a great handful of friends who he really loves to hang and bond with. There however was one person who he loved seeing more than anyone else, Yukiko Amagi, the beautiful young proprietress of the Amagi Inn.

When Yu first met Yukiko, it was very clear to him that she was quite beautiful. It was no secret that a lot of people had a crush on her in school. It didn't really matter to him because he really had no intention of finding love in his year here in Inaba. For Yu, just because he thought someone was attractive, doesn't mean he'd automatically both fall in love with said person and try to court her. It wasn't like that for him. He just thought of her as the interesting classmate who seemed quiet and reserved. Fast-forward to a few weeks later, and his heart was telling him another story.

He got to see this other side of her. The side that seemed to be shown to only a few privileged people. He loved seeing her smile, and laugh about the most random things. It was a chorus to his ears. When she spoke so passionately about her interests, he would be mesmerized by every word. Yu suddenly realized this girl was someone special. Yu then began his own opening up to this girl. Yu began discussing his plans, dreams, and sharing what kind of quirky person he was with her. He was glad to find that she accepted it all. She listened and enjoyed his company. The both of them found they had quite good chemistry.

The sessions of them just hanging out with each other alone became more numerous. They'd invite each other to go grocery shopping, have study sessions, and eat out together. Yu enjoyed every single mundane task with her. Yukiko felt the same. It also became quite clear that there was something brewing between the two of them. The evolution of their relationship to something more. No words were said but they both felt it. They felt something…unique with each other. In fact, when other people started calling them a couple when they were together, unlike before where they vehemently denied it, now they would just slightly brush it off and smile. If everything was going the same pace as it was now, maybe in a few days time, their relationship would spring board to the official. Sadly, Yu and Yukiko's free time became limited recently. Yukiko in particular had to help out a lot more once again at the Amagi Inn due to an influx of customers.

Yu would try to invite her on multiple occasions and would sadly receive a reply from Yukiko being unable to. The young pair was starting to feel distraught. In the meantime, they both decided to be productive. Yu for example, tried continuing his other works, and tried catching up more often with his other friends. But he'd try to contact Yukiko every chance he'd get to meet up with her and Yukiko would try to free her up time as well. Sadly, to no avail. This continued on for some time.

It was another Sunday, Yu had an empty schedule and he was dressed to head out. Once again, he tries contacting Yukiko.

"Hey Yukiko. Good morning." said Yu.

"Hi Yu. Good morning to you too. What's up?"

"Oh. Just wondering…if you're free today?"

"Oh…"

"Ohh?…"

"Oh…No. I'm sorry. I can't again today…"

Both of them sighed without the other person hearing on the phone."

"Okay… I understand. Don't work too hard all right? I… get worried some times that you're overdoing it." said Yu.

"Thanks for the concern. I'll… let you know if my schedule frees up." said Yukiko.

"Okay. Great. Just, let me know."

"Alright… Hope to see you soon…"

"Yeah… me too."

Yu ends the call and is unsure of what to do that day. He however had the urge to at least enjoy or meet up with someone. He was looking through his list of friends on his phone when all of a sudden he receives a phone call.

*Ring Ring*

Yu checks his phone and sees it's Ai Ebihara. A girl who was the same year he was. Yu thought she was… a very unique girl. She was pretty and at first glance, seems like a normal person. However, she wasn't someone everybody can exactly handle. She was very blunt, also she can be quite harsh with people, and difficult to get along with right away. Yu and Ai actually became friends after some time. It wasn't exactly the smoothest of friendships but after a while, Yu saw what was underneath. Deep down, she was actually a good person. A sweet girl. He felt Ai also appreciated him as a good friend too.

"Hello? It's me."

"Oh. Hey Ai. What's up?"

"Wanna go shopping with me today? I'm in the mood to buy something."

Yu thought for a quick moment. Ai wasn't who he expected to hang out with today but seeing like there wasn't anyone else available, and the girl who he really wanted to see was busy, he thought hanging with Ai wasn't such a bad idea.

"Sure. Let's meet up."

"Cool. Don't be late." said Ai.

After Yu ends the call, suddenly, he hears a little voice in the corner of his mind saying something. He feels also a chill go down his spine.

" ** _Ai may not be exactly your type, but you're forgetting she's actually a very pretty girl… who's single. Right now… you're going to meet up with her… alone. Without Yukiko knowing." the voice said._**

Yu thinks for a moment. It shouldn't be a problem for him he thought.

"What's wrong with hanging out with Ai? I'm just accompanying her as she goes shopping? It's not like I'm cheating on Yukiko." said Yu to his inner voice.

" ** _Isn't the fact that the idea of cheating on Yukiko coming up not a concern?" said the inner voice._**

It was then that Yu felt a bit guilty. Maybe he should try calling her again. Before he could though, he got worried if he was going to bother her. He already called her a while ago and she said she was busy. Conflicted with what to do, he decides to let it slide.

"It's just one time… I'm sure it'll be fine." he said. He knew who he had feelings for anyway.

After some time, and a train ride later, Yu and Ai made it to Okina station.

"I wanna go to that shop first and get a bangle… It's kinda expensive, though… Could you buy it for me?"

Yu had to think for a moment. Was Ai joking or was she seriously asking him to buy it for her? Normally, Yu was a generous person and when it came to his friends, things such as asking to buy things for them aren't a big concern. But he was on a budget, and buying something like a bangle for a girl meant more than just buying lunch for a friend who left his wallet. Maybe in another life, if he was interested in Ai, he would automatically say yes. He starts thinking about Yukiko. If Yukiko asked this from him, he probably felt that he would automatically say yes to her as well. The idea of giving a special gift to Yukiko made him feel happy. At the same time, Yu felt sad that once again, she was not there beside him. He decides to deflect the request.

"Uhm…Sorry…. I'm short on cash." said Yu.

"Haha. I was just kidding…. Thanks though." Ai smiles.

Yu felt kind of relieved she wasn't serious. He should recall that Ai like to tease him a lot. As they continue talking, Yu gets a surprise from behind. He hears a familiar voice.

"Hey Yu-kun! What a coincidence!"

Yu turns around and sees none other than the lovely Yukiko approaching from afar. She was wearing her casual attire. She wore a black top, a white skirt, and a headband, which had her signature color, red. Yu's heart skipped a beat. The thought of she looking good in anything she wore went through his head. It then dawned on him about the situation he was in. Here comes the girl who's stolen his heart. She's about to see him hanging out alone with another girl. He hoped this wasn't going to become a misunderstanding.

As Yukiko approaches, she pauses. Alas, Yu's worries were realized. Yukiko seemed surprised to see another pretty girl beside Yu. What were the thoughts going through Yukiko's head? Who was the mystery girl? Why was Yu alone with her? Did she think they were on a date? These thoughts plagued Yu. Were these questions what she was thinking? He was speechless. Yukiko also became quiet. Her normal happy demeanor she had when she was with Yu suddenly vanished. She put on a straight face. She approached the two of them and looked at Ai.

"And you are…?" asked Yukiko.

Yu was shocked to see this very stoic side of Yukiko. Was she…upset? Her question though definitely frustrated Ai.

"You don't know me?" said Ai with a bit of a angry tone.

"S-Sorry. I don't… Are you a relative of his?" asked Yukiko.

It seemed that Yukiko was telling the truth, as she didn't know who Ai was. This further angered Ai.

"Nope! We go to the same school… We're in the same grade."

Ai's voice was getting more and more harsh. Yukiko however didn't seem fazed and at the same time, it seemed like it didn't really matter to her.

"O-oh, is that so?" Yukiko said.

There was an awkward pause. Yukiko however ignores Ai, and begins talking to Yu again.

"Um, so… Yu-kun? You came here… to hang out with her?" asked Yukiko.

*bang* the question hit straight through Yu's heart. The guilt was killing him. He wasn't sure what she was feeling but there was bit of sadness in her voice. Yu could tell. Technically he shouldn't really need to explain himself since they weren't "anything" yet but Yu and Yukiko had this unsaid bond between them. It was telling him that what he did right now wasn't exactly great. Ai once again cut into the conversation.

"Huh? None of your busine—-" said Ai but before she could finish. Yukiko interrupts.

"I didn't ask you." said Yukiko.

It was one of the few times that Yu saw Yukiko say something bluntly and harshly. It seemed to show she didn't really care who Ai was. Yu could feel the tension building between the two girls. But before anything could erupt, Ai decides to speak up.

"… I'm outta here." said Ai.

Yu tries to reach out to her. But Ai gave him a dissatisfied look. She continues to leave. He decides to apologize to her later. He was sure that Ai would be all right. She was a tough girl and he knew she's gotten through a lot worse. Right now though, he had a different problem. He looked to Yukiko who still had a straight and serious face.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" asked Yukiko.

Yu wasn't sure what to say at first. He must have hurt her. He didn't mean to.

"It's uhm…a misunderstanding…I…"

Yu continues to look at those deep dark brown eyes. He decides on the best course of action. He messed up. He had to make amends.

"I'm sorry… Yukiko."

"…"

Yu expected a bit of an argument or to hear painful words from her. What happened next surprised him.

"Oh….that's not fair. Now I can't even sulk over it."

Yu saw Yukiko looked upset but at the same time, it seemed she wasn't as much as a while ago.

"I wanted to hang out with you too…" she said. Her eyes were looking away from him.

"I-I did too, Yukiko. I told you…it's not like that…"

"Then why were you here with her?" she said a bit sadly.

"I was invited. After I called you this morning, Ai called me up. We're just friends. I swear. I… I didn't really think what it might have meant… The person I wanted to see today was busy… and in fact, all I could think about was if you were here with me—-"

Yukiko looked up when she was mentioned.

"—-I'd be having so much more fun." Yu said with a sweet smile.

"Really?" asked Yukiko.

"Yes…Of course." said Yu.

Yukiko brought out a warm smile for Yu to see. He finally started to feel relieved.

"What brings you here to Okina?" asked Yu.

"After you called this morning, I ended up going here to buy things for the Inn. But I finished early with my errands, and my mom let met have the rest of the day off. I was ready to head back and call you when I saw you here too. I was happy…but then…"

Yukiko paused for a moment. She however shook her head and smiled again.

"Yeah. I believe you. I'm sorry I overreacted."

"It's alright." said Yu.

"…"

Another silent pause. The two young teenagers were now alone. It was quite clear who they wanted to be with right now.

"Well… since we're here, why don't we go somewhere?" asked Yukiko.

"Nothing else would make me happier right now… Let's go." said Yu.

As they slowly walked towards another part of the city, Yu decided to be a bit bolder. He took hold of Yukiko's hand. Another quick silence. Their faces red. After some quick motions, their fingers intertwined perfectly. Smiles forming on their faces from how it felt just right. They continued going their on way hand in hand.

It promises to be an entertaining day.


	10. YuRise: Fireworks and King's Game

Author's Note:

Hi everyone! It's been a while again. Still busy playing through Persona 4 Golden. I've been meaning to update Fools and Lovers for some time now, but I keep thinking I should play more of the games to write better about the characters. The games are giving me inspiration.

This story is based on those famous scenes in the game in the context of my playthrough. Right before the fireworks festival I finally made it to Rank 8 with Rise and got into a relationship. This remained until the school trip and the King's Game part of the game. I added a few things here and there. Hehe.

I love this couple a lot as well. I HAD to write another story about them, especially in this compilation! I want more love for the older Persona couples too! Anyway whoever ends up reading this, I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Yu woke up that summer day thinking about what's transpired recently. Ever since he hugged Rise after she cried about what her manager said about her career, their relationship was in this very unclear state. He thought he made it clear how he felt about her. Rise implied she liked him more than just friends on several occasions through her bold words and actions.

But since then… there was no follow up. Were they just words? Was it possible for their relationship to go further? Never did Yu in his wildest dreams think he'd fall for an "idol."

But Rise… was special.

She was nothing like what he imagined an idol to be. In fact, he didn't even know Rise was an idol until AFTER meeting her. She was just a normal girl to him. But after getting to know her, he soon realized whom she was inside and out. In the end, she became the girl who's stolen his heart.

Now here he was. Another morning. He wasn't sure what he had to do next anymore. Supposedly, the case was closed. He could now be a normal high-schooler. But because the case was closed, his mind was always going back to his feelings for Rise. Yu sighed as he wondered what to do. All the while not knowing that Rise herself has been deep in thought about her own feelings for him.

Rise woke up that morning considering whether to call her senpai. It was the fireworks festival that evening. She wanted to call Yu but her thoughts were going back to what happened recently as well.

That evening after Rise and Yu were in each other's arms, Rise was lying on her bed. She continued to stare at the ceiling as she thought about the wonderful Yu who stole her heart.

"He…really likes me?" she quietly said.

Rise has acted out in roles about love but she's never actually experienced it until now. There were hints that their feelings were mutual such as that one time they went to the summer festival alone together. Now she was surer than ever. This also strengthened her resolve.

"So this…is what it feels like… to be in love." she puts her pillow on her face as she felt all sorts of emotions.

*…*

She wanted to scream a little. She was so confused over all that transpired. Happy. Sad. Unsure. Worried. What was going to happen now? She thought a lot that evening.

Now here she was that morning. Wondering whether or not she should call. She wanted to see him and at the same time, she was being unusually shy. The idea of going to the fireworks festival together was also kinda romantic. But before she could think any further, her hand was already heading for her phone. She unconsciously started to dial Yu's number.

*Ring*

Yu's phone rang. He checked the number to see who was calling. He saw the name.

It was Rise.

He answered quickly. Wondering why she was calling.

"Hello…?"

"Hi Senpai. It's me.. Rise."

"Hi Rise."

"…"

There was a short pause between them. Rise was embarrassed to speak a bit. But she had to mention what she wanted to stay.

"Did you know the fireworks festival is today?"

Yu immediately replied as soon as she mentioned.

"Oh yeah. Right." he said.

"You know… I don't have any plans…" Rise mentions. It was a hint. She wanted to go with him.

"Let's you and me go." Yu said immediately what he wanted to say.

Rise smiled on the other side of the phone. They were in sync.

"You mean like… a date? *giggle*" Rise blushed.

"I like that idea. It makes me feel like I really am your girlfriend." Rise said.

There it was. That word.

Girlfriend.

The idea of Rise being his girlfriend made him happier than he ever thought possible.

Before Rise could say anymore, she realized the situation. It was impossible for the two of them to just go alone.

"But I bet we'll run into the others at the festival. Yosuke-senpai would never pass up something like this."

"Oh right." Yu actually agreed. The others would definitely want to go.

"It kinda sucks, but maybe we should get together with everyone this time! Well, I'll see you tonight, Senpai."

"Yeah. See you tonight, Rise." Yu said with a happy tone.

Their phone called ended. Both of them sighed in relief. The voice of the their important person brightened up their moods.

"Tonight."

"Tonight." they both said. Excitement filled their hearts.

Later that evening was actually quite fun for the two of them. They talked for a bit all the while not letting everyone know how their relationship has developed so far.

During the fireworks, with everybody including Nanako, everyone was enjoying the spectacle. But with all the movements of everybody, no one noticed that Rise and Yu ended up standing beside each other.

Yu felt he wanted to be a bit bold. He tried reaching for Rise's hand. His movements weren't audible through the loud noises of the fireworks and the shouts of their friends. Even Rise was shouting a little for fun. She dropped her hands just for a moment. Then… she felt them.

His fingers were playfully trying to grasp hers.

Rise stopped shouting all of a sudden. Her face started to turn red. No one however noticed because they were still concentrating on the fireworks. Rise's left hand was covering her mouth a little while her right was on her side, trying to be grasped by Yu's hand. She didn't try to look at her side. She continued facing forward towards the fireworks display. Yu himself didn't look down towards their hands either.

Finally, Yu was able to intertwine his fingers with hers. It felt just right. Their faces forward. But Yu looked at Rise in the corner of his eye. There was a smile. He smiled too.

The moment however halted immediately because the fireworks show finished. Yu and Rise let go. Not to be spotted by their group of friends.

 ** _"_** ** _Next time."_** They both thought.

After a while, Nanako and Dojima-san left. The group of teenagers was left together to talk for a bit. They talked about how summer was about to end and how it was kinda sad. Rise however mentions that she enjoyed her time unlike other years where she would be working. She was glad to even wear a yukata during the summer festival.

"The festival, huh… Thanks to a certain someone, I don't have anything but bitter memories of that." Yosuke said.

"Really?" Teddie said.

"That someone is YOU." Yosuke said as he glared at Teddie.

"Well, I had fun." Kanji happily replied.

"Oh yeah, you were good at that candy-cutting… WAIT, That's not what I meant!" Yusuke said.

He sighed a bit.

"I was expecting something more… more bittersweet and stuff! Right?" Yosuke said.

Yu understood what he was trying to say. Yosuke wanted to have a sweet moment with a nice girl.

Yu was glad he enjoyed his summer festival with Rise the day after.

"True, it was completely different." Yu replied.

It then dawned on him what that meant. He wanted to say it but he forgot that it was sort of a secret.

 ** _"_** ** _Crap." he thought._**

Yosuke reeled back a bit.

"W-Wait a sec… What does that mean? What're you comparing it to…? D-Did you go with someone else the next day…!?"

Everybody began having curious looks. For some reason Chie and Yukiko seemed to be the ones with the most interested faces. They looked kind of interrogatory. Yu tried to avoid Rise's gaze. He tried to be subtle but ended up seeing her face. She was already blushing. Trying to avoid his gaze as well.

Chie and Yukiko noticed.

"What's wrong Rise-chan? You seem fidgety." Chie asked.

"Your face seems awfully red, too." Yukiko said.

Rise paused for a slight moment before replying.

"Hmm? Does it?" Rise said.

The blush on her face was even more apparent than ever. She looked towards Yu. Yu as well happened to look at her almost at the same time. They suddenly got worried and quickly looked away from each other.

Yosuke now noticed what was happening between them.

"Dude… Seriously!?"

The rest of the night continued being a nice one. They talked about the boy Naoto and also ended up having a light dinner together.

In between though, Yu really wanted to talk to Rise. But they never had some alone time together.

After dinner, Yu tried speaking to her.

"Hey. Uhm. Rise…I wanted to—"

"S-senpai. I'm sorry. I gotta go. My grandma is waiting for me. Bye!" She quickly said. She started dashing off.

Rise was still embarrassed from what happened that evening. At the same time, she felt a bit stupid.

"Mmmm… Rise! You idiot." She said as she ran back home.

Yu was kicking himself inside as well.

The next week, the both of them ended up not being able to hang out much. There was one day of school where they got to eat lunch together. Yu prepared a nice meal the evening before. However, they both felt it wasn't right to bring up the topic of their relationship yet.

Fast-forward to their school trip. It was the second evening. They ended up hanging with Naoto.

"On to round two!" Rise shouted.

Yu and the others were still in the club playing the King's Game. Yukiko and Rise have gotten themselves "drunk" over whatever was in those drinks. Yu however had the strangest suspicion that the drinks weren't alcoholic. That still didn't explain though why the two of them seemed so intoxicated.

Yu was kinda worried about where this will lead. Teddie had the gall to begin it with a kiss. Sadly poor Kanji was dragged off into the distance. They haven't retuned yet. He had to be careful with picking the next stick. He prayed that he wouldn't be caught doing something crazy.

"Must be…careful." Yu thought.

He draws the near one.

There's a red mark on it.

 ** _"_** ** _Does that mean…?" Yu thought._**

"Who's the king?" Rise asked.

"Uhm… I am." Yu said to the rest of the group.

Chie exclaimed immediately in relief.

"Phew, someone decent… No crazy orders this time…"

Yu agreed as well. He wanted to have fun…but nothing too… dangerous.

Unfortunately… Yukiko and Rise disagreed…

"That's not how it goes! If the last king demanded a smooch, then the next order's gotta be more extreme."

"Wait… what?" Chie exclaimed.

"Chiiieee, don't be such a party pooper… Ahahahaha!" Yukiko said.

 ** _"_** ** _Oh no…" Yu thought._**

Everyone else aside from Rise and Yukiko sighed.

"Heyyy! The person who gets picked should have to rest their head on the King's lap."

"HUH?!" said Yu.

 ** _"_** ** _Rise of all people had to say that" He thought._** This was going to be nerve-wracking for Yu. Especially with what happened recently between them.

"Nah, make 'em sit on his lap." Yukiko said.

"Oh! Or they could have to hug him!" Rise replied.

"Better than that… A piggyback ride!" Yukiko said.

Yu, Chie, Naoto, and Yosuke were all unsure how far this was escalating.

"C'mon, King! Who's gonna do what!?" Rise said with a dazed look.

Yu wasn't sure what to do. There was a little voice inside of him actually wanting a little fun. But a piggyback ride for him was out of the question. He decided to just play along a little.

"Number 1… Rests on my lap."

"Yesss! I'm number 1!" Rise jumped up and said.

 ** _"_** ** _Uhm…Okay."_** Yu internally said. He was actually relieved and kinda happy that it was Rise and not anybody else.

Rise walked awkwardly towards Yu. She sits down beside him and slowly lies her head down on his lap.

"What!? Oh man, you dunno how much I wanna trade places with you right now…" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Heeheehee…! Senpai's lap is so warm! It feels so nice!" Rise said.

Yu looked at her. She seemed completely relaxed on his lap. He felt… extra happy. Was it because she was "drunk?" Or was she really that comfortable with him?

Rise eventually went up again and after talking with Naoto about a few things, there was the complication of how they were going to bring home Yukiko and Rise. Teddie and Kanji finally came back but Teddie kept insisting they should drink till morning. Naoto however already confirmed what Yu suspected. They weren't drinking alcohol at all.

"Huh…? Does that mean we're all just drunk off the atmosphere?" asked Chie.

"Whooo caaares… Whee, I feel so good… Goood niiiiight…" Yukiko said. Her face was still red…

After just a moment, Yukiko finally falls asleep. Everybody sighed except for Rise. Yu worried for his friend.

"Hey Senpai! … How the hell are we gonna get back with two passed-out drunks!?" asked Kanji.

" *sigh* All this is giving me a big headache… Is this what a hangover feels like…?" Yosuke said.

"Teddie's still totally okay. Less keep drinking till mornin'!" said Teddie. His voice was beginning to slur.

"Bring it oooon…" Rise said in a bit of daze. Her face still looked flushed.

As they watched her a bit longer, they noticed she fell asleep too.

 ** _"_** ** _Wow. I hope she's alright." Yu thought._**

"As I said… you haven't been drinking alcohol! Are you a pack of imbeciles?!" Naoto said.

It became a bit awkward. Chie automatically volunteered to help bring Yukiko back. She was definitely out of it. Yosuke and Kanji decided to drag Teddie out of there before he did anything crazy. Naoto had to go back ahead as well. They all agreed that Yu was the one who would be taking care of Rise and bringing her back to her place. Chie will be waiting at their room for them.

"You take care, Yu. I'll be waiting for you back at the hotel." said Chie.

He nodded as Rise was drifting in and out of sleep beside him. She started to lean on his shoulder. It looked like she had no idea where she was at the moment.

Eventually, it was just the two of them. Yu didn't want to take too long. He waited a good 20 minutes before deciding to move Rise. She wasn't actually drunk anyway.

"Rise. Come on. Time to get up. We're heading back."

"I-I'm…. not sleepy…" she said. Her voice seemed very unaware and tired.

"You definitely sound sleepy." Yu chuckled a little.

"You… just want to take me to bed with you…"

 ** _"_** ** _WHAT?!" Yu screamed in his head._** Where did Rise get that idea?

"JUST KIDDING. I made you blush… didn't I senpai? HeeeHeee."

"Don't think you'll get into bed with the beautiful Risette that easy. I'm… waiting… for that special someone." Rise giggled.

Rise sounded bolder than ever from whatever made her "drunk." It was time to go back to the hotel for sure.

"OOOKAY. It's definitely time to go back now." Yu stood up from his seat.

Yu held his hand out for Rise to use to get up. Rise however still tried teasing Yu more.

"Pull me up…Puhlease." She sounded a bit childish.

Yu indulged her. He pulled her up with just a little force. Rise however seemed like she sprung up with much more energy and momentum. More like… she intentionally launched herself into Yu's arms.

"Awoops! Oh Senpai. Thank you… for catching me. *giggle* "

Once again, Yu and Rise were in a warm embrace. If it weren't for Rise's current state, Yu would be in total bliss. Not to say he wasn't happy at the moment. Rise was holding him tighter than last time. Yu enjoyed Rise's sweet scent. She always smelled wonderful. Her nice frame fit well within his. He almost didn't want to let go. But… he was a gentleman.

"Come on Rise… Let's go." Yu gently said. He lets go of her. But decides to hold onto her hand as he leads her out of the club.

"Oooookaayy…" Rise gloomily said. The "drunk" attitude was still permeating her speech.

Eventually, Yu and Rise left the club and were walking back to the hotel. It was quiet for a certain amount of time. Rise actually began leaning on Yu's shoulder for support. He thanked God that Rise was still able to walk. Even though she did so unsteadily. They were almost there so Yu wasn't that worried even if he suddenly had to carry her the rest of the way.

"S-senpai?" Rise suddenly said.

"Yes?" Yu looked towards her and sees she's still in a daze. She was half asleep as she walked.

"You know… you mean so much to me…"

"…"

"You mean a lot to me too, Rise." Yu replied honestly.

"No… That's… not what I meant… You're special…"

Yu and Rise continued to walk. He just listened. He was thinking whether or not if these words had any credibility.

"You're special too." he said.

"Yu-senpai… NO! What I mean is—-"

Before Yu could react, he felt something touch his left cheek. He soon realized Rise tiptoed a little as she placed an affectionate kiss on his cheek.

He felt like time froze for just a moment from the kiss. His heart skipped a bit.

She let go. The feeling of the kiss was still on the spot where she placed it.

"I love you, Yu."

Her face was still a bit red. Her legs were still wobbly. Finally, it seemed like that was it. She fell asleep on his shoulder. Yu caught her.

He decided to carry her in a princess carry the rest of the way. He however was speechless. As he went up to bring her to Chie's, Yukiko's, and her room, he looked at her with loving affection. Did she truly mean that? Did these emotions come out because of her state? Because if it was true… he wanted her to know one thing.

Right before he dropped her off at her room, he whispered a little into her ear.

"I love you too, Rise."


	11. AkiraAnn: A Close Call

Author's Note:

"Inspired by the scene in the game where you invite Ann over to your place."

Hey everyone! I happened to watch this scene in the game again while scrolling Youtube and I've always wanted to add a little more to it. I added a little twist too! I loved this scene a lot and the intensity between them was off the charts! So I hope you enjoy!

I also wanted to add again to this compilation! It's been a while since the last update!

Till next time!

* * *

It was a rainy day in Tokyo. In between heists, the Phantom Thieves were pretty much living normally once again. But for Ren Amamiya, he was full of vigor.

It's been a few weeks since Ann and Ren confessed their love for one another. Whenever they had the chance, they'd sneak away and have some time alone together. Today was a perfect day for some alone time with Ann, he thought.

As usual, Ren headed to the one place he'd expect to see Ann after school, the underground mall. True enough, while walking through the crowds of people, he saw among them, the beautiful girl who's stolen his heart. His eyes were glued upon the smiling young woman looking through the various clothes on display. His heart was beating ever faster every time he got closer to her. He couldn't help but thank the heavens that she was his and he was hers.

Ren was only a few steps away before Ann noticed him. She turned around and that smile he saw from afar grew even larger. There was a slight pink showing on her cute cheeks.

"Hey, you!" she said.

"Hey there yourself. Find something you want?" he asked.

"Hmmm… just browsing. Are you here to look for something?" she asked.

Ren approached her closer and secretly held her hand away from other people's watching eyes.

"Yup. Found it. I think I want to buy this product." he said with a snicker.

Ann's blush grew redder with his hand gently holding hers.

"S-stop it. S-stop with the f-flirting in public." she said with a smile and a stammer.

"People… might catch us. It's a secret… remember." she said. Her eyes were looking around through the crowd of people. Watching out for anyone who might know them.

Ren's grin grew larger. He loved seeing Ann react like this. And he loved that he was the one causing them and no one else.

"I can't help it. You're too cute." he said.

Ann squirmed a little from the way Ren looked at her. It was obvious he was smitten with her. Ann loved that he only acted that way towards her. And she loved how they acted like lovesick fools with one another.

"Oh you…" she said with a giggle.

Their fingers continued to play with each other as they stood along the walkway. Ren finally snapped from his daze and remembered what he wanted to do with the lovely lady in front of him.

"Soo… what are you doing today?" he asked.

"Nothing really. Did you have… something in mind?" Ann's eyes sparkled.

"I was thinking… Let's go to my room."

Ann felt her heart nearly burst out of her chest. She turned away for just a moment. The blush was evident on her cheeks.

"Okay." she said. She looked back at Ren with that sweet comforting smile.

Ren's own smile grew. He was supposed to let go of Ann's hand while walking in public but he didn't give a damn anymore. He was never letting go of this girl. Not now… not ever. And Ann didn't seem to mind.

*Fast Forward to Yongen-Jaya*

The two of them finally arrived along the familiar streets of Yongen-Jaya. It was a miracle that nobody caught them acting so obviously like a couple in public. But they were too distracted with one another to even care. The pitter-patter of rain hitting the umbrella they shared while they walked enhanced the mood they felt. They continued walking until they reached the front door of Leblanc. There was a sign saying it was closed. Ann looked up towards Ren. A knowing looking on his face.

"So… it's just the two of us here, huh?" said Ann.

"Yup." he said.

Ren took out his keys and opened the door. After storing the umbrella and drying themselves off a little, the two of them headed upstairs to Ren's "room" or more accurately the attic of Leblanc.

The couple sat down on the couch and made themselves comfortable. There was a little silence between the two of them. But they were smiling. Excitement and Anxiety mixed together.

Ann scooched closer to him on the couch. They were nearly touching shoulder to shoulder. A few millimetres away from one another. But whenever one of them moved, they bumped into each other a little. But they both didn't mind. They loved the feeling of each other's touch. Each other's closeness. She smiled again at Ren but suddenly looked away due to her nervousness.

"I-it's normal for couples to get closer to each other—-" Ann said as she twirled one of her pigtails with her fingers.

"—- But… I feel like I'm sitting a little too close. I think my heart's going to explode…"

"What about a while ago when we were walking? Also in the train? You didn't mind." Ren said with a tease.

"T-that's because we kept on moving! Also because we were in public! But now… we're staying in one place… nobody here but us… nobody to see… what might happen…" Ann said with a shy voice.

"Ahaha. I see…" Ren said.

Ann was looking away again. Ren took his chance and tried reaching for her hand once again. But before he could, Ann began emoting. He pulled back his hand.

"What's with you, Ren! No matter the situation, you always have that calm look on your face!"

Ann's face was beet red again. Her blue eyes locked towards his set of grey ones.

"Mmm! All right, I've made up my mind! I'm going to break that composure for sure! I hope you're ready…!"

Ann looked determined to break Ren's steel like composure.

Ren just watched her for a moment… Before laughing out loud.

"Hahahaha!"

"What's so funny?!" she said with a cute pout.

Ren composed himself before speaking any further.

"N-Nothing. It's… just…"

 **(** ** _Oh Ann. You have no idea… that I'm always a mess around you.) Ren thought._**

Ren recalls all the moments his heart was running wild because of Ann. He can't believe she thinks he was rock solid. And yet… instead of admitting his weakness, Ren wanted to tease her more.

"Bring it." he said with a confidant smile.

"Oh…? In that case, I'm not gonna hold back…"

Ren watched as Ann's confidence shined. He loved it when she was so determined. But it didn't last long till Ann giggled into laughter. The serious outer shell breaking and revealing the cute loveable side of Ann.

"Ren, you stupid moron…I like you, I love you, I wanna be with you forever!" Ann exclaimed.

*UGH* Ren gasped a little.

It's as if cupid shot his heart once again.

 ** _"_** ** _DAMN IT. She actually did it. She broke my composure." he thought._**

But before he could tell her of her victory, Ann spoke up.

"Just kidding…? Ehehe…" Ann nervously said.

Ren once again gained the upper hand. His smooth side took over during Ann's hesitation to admit her feelings.

"Oh… You were kidding huh? That's… too bad… because… that's how I feel…" Ren said smoothly.

Ann looked surprised. There was a little guilt on her face from what he said.

"W-wait! I mean…. Ugh… S-shut up! Y-you know what I mean… "

Ren reacted and held onto her hand. He did a comforting caress to calm the lady beside him.

"Haha. Yeah… I know…" Ren smiled.

Ann smiled back. She sighed in relief. A thought occurred about how this all felt familiar.

"Oh… This reminds me of that training we did in the park."

Ren recalls a silly moment between the two of them. But he did remember a certain thing he tried telling her already way back then.

"You know, when I had you say all that different stuff to me. My heart was pounding back then."

"Yeah… I remember… I told you… I loved you." Ren said with a smirk.

Ann nodded.

"Y-yeah. That… almost gave me a heart attack…. Were you serious back then, Ren?" Ann looked fidgety when she spoke.

Ren smiled.

"Ann… I meant it… I was already head over heels for you…"

Ann looked at Ren. Looking for any doubts from what he said. Finally… realization came in that Ren meant every word.

Ann suddenly looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry… I kinda blew it off last time. A part of me thought you were actually telling me how you felt… but… I wasn't sure how I felt about you yet. So… I wanted to think of it… as part of the training. You didn't follow up with it either…so… yeah. In the end…I thought you weren't serious."

Ren squeezed Ann's hand comfortingly in reaction.

"It's alright, Ann. I'm actually… pretty happy with how things ended up with us. I got to know you a lot better as well… before trying again. And after knowing you better… I was more sure than ever… about how I felt about you."

"…I'm happy about us too. Back then… I may not have exactly felt the same way about you… but… I for sure didn't want to lose you. You were important to me. And now you are more than ever. But… I just want you to know… that evening after the park… I could barely sleep thinking about what you said." Ann giggled.

Ann played with one of her pigtails once again as she thought about what to say next.

"Sooo… what about now…? Was your heart… pounding?" said Ann in a shy voice once again.

Ren took Ann's hand that was intertwined with his and brought it to his chest. He left Ann's hand over where his heart would be.

Ann gasped.

"So… does that answer your question?" he asked.

"It's beating… exactly like mine… non-stop." she said.

"You beat me… No composure… whatsoever." Ren said a smile.

"Ehehe…"

The two teens were quiet as they lovingly looked into each other's eyes. Another lightbulb flashed up in Ren's head. He recalled he had something to give to Ann.

"Oh… right… I got you something."

"You got me… a gift?"

Ren reached for something in his pocket and what he brought out was a beautiful heart shaped-necklace.

"This is so pretty! Can I really have this!?" Ann looked surprised.

Ren nodded.

"Thanks! This is really… awesome!… I love it!"

"Here… let me help you wear it."

Ann turned her back towards Ren. He began to help Ann adjust her hair up a little. He then placed it carefully around her neck and hooked the chain properly. Ann looked now at the beautiful jewelry right below her neck.

"Thank you so much! I'll cherish it…" Ann went up and hugged the grinning boy. But what was supposed to be a quick hug, led to both of them not letting go.

"Uhm… you can let go now…" said Ren.

"And… why aren't you?" said Ann.

"Oh… maybe because… I don't want to."

"Ehehe. Me too."

The hug lasted a bit longer before they both tiled their heads back to get a better look at each other.

"Can…we stay together a little longer…? Please?" asked Ann.

"Stay as long as you want…"

Ann slipped her hand out of Ren's hold and grabbed the glasses from his face. She sets them aside and wipes a bit of the hair away from his forehead.

"There… now I can see you better… and… there's nothing blocking me… from getting in close."

"Ready…" he said.

Their hearts beating as one. The young lovers began leaning their faces closer. The moment building up for some time now. They were both excited to taste each other's sweet lips once again. Their eyes slowly closing. Nothing was going to ruin the moment.

And yet…

The universe can be a bit cruel….

The sound of cat footsteps approaching them was heard.

"REN! Are you here! Boy am I full! I ate too much tuna from the kind guy near the supermarket." A voice called out from the stairs.

The two of them realized who it could only be. Morgana. If it was any other normal person, they would have made a lot more sound… and that would have given a better heads up to the both of them. But Morgana's light feet makes him quite hard to notice. And the fact… that both of them were too distracted by each other… made them less aware of their surroundings.

Ren watched, as Morgana was about to reach the last step on the flight of stairs. His head was still not looking towards their direction. Morgana was about to behold the position the two of them were. The world slowed down to the milliseconds. He's never tried thinking faster than in that moment.

 ** _"_** ** _How were they going to explain this?"_**

Ren quickly looked back towards Ann's eyes and noticed she looked like she had a plan.

 ** _(I'm so sorry about this.) Ann thought._**

Ren continued to look at Ann as she began to look apologetic and then…*AAHHH! WHAT?!*

Ann and Ren immediately let go of one another as Ren began to rub his eyes.

"OH! Does it still hurt?" said Ann a bit too enthusiastically.

"What's going on? Lady Ann?! What are you doing here?" Morgana exclaimed.

"Oh Morgana!" Ann said as she looked back towards him.

"There's something in Ren's eyes. Maybe some dust. I was just… taking a closer look. and BLEW a little air to clear it out. I heard this works or at least helps a little." she said with a shaky voice.

Ren however in the meantime was seriously rubbing his eyes from the sudden intake of air from Ann. But after hearing what she said… he decided to play along.

"Uhm… Uh yeah." Ren continued to rub his eyes slightly. I think… that's better… Thanks Ann." he said.

Morgana watched as the two teenagers looked a bit frantic. But… the poor cat was too love-struck to deny anything the girl of his affections would say.

"OH OH! I see! Quick thinking Lady Ann! Glad you can help out our leader!" said Morgana enthusiastically.

"R-right! Anyway! I should get going now!" Ann began to stand up. Ren reacted immediately and stood up with her.

"I'll walk her back!" said Ren.

"Oh. You're leaving so soon?" asked Morgana.

"Yeah! Got… some work to do! Bye!" Ann quickly went down the stairs and Ren followed quickly after her.

Morgana watched as he thought it weird that they acted so fidgety. What were they doing here actually? Homework? But he didn't pry further. He was too full and all he wanted to do… was take a nap…

Downstairs, beside the door to LeBlanc, the two teenagers sighed in relief.

"That… was close." Ann said.

"Yeah…" Ren snickered.

"Awww… I wanted some alone time… and we didn't get to finish—-MMM!"

Ann however stopped speaking suddenly… as Ren kissed her deeply. Her body began to loosen… as she got lost in the kiss. It was what she was waiting for. It was magic…all over again. The sweet and caring lips of the boy she loved. After a moment of enjoying… they let go. The two teenagers laughed a little as they finished. They quickly turned around to see if they were spotted.

"Nope… Morgana's still upstairs…. We're clear." Ren said.

"So… I guess… I'll really go now…" Ann said.

Ren looked back towards the steps to check for Morgana once again. The boy then took his umbrella in the stack and opened the door to LeBlanc.

"I said to Morgana I was going to walk you back. But I didn't say… how far back." Ren said with a mischievous smile.

Ann giggled.

"So… all the way back then?" she asked.

Ren nodded.

The two of them quietly left LeBlanc as they headed back to Ann's place in secret. And this time… nothing's going to interrupt their alone time together.


	12. AkiraMakoto: After Valentine's Interview

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! I haven't updated this compilation in a while! But in honor of the girls who recently had birthdays, I made stories, just for them! First up is a Akira/Makoto story. I used Ren as his name in the story. I've been more used to it recently. Anyway! It's a little story on what happens during the morning after Valentine's Day! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 _It's the morning after Valentines, Makoto and Ren's private morning is interrupted… by an unexpected visitor._

Makoto Niijima woke up that morning feeling relaxed. The most relaxed and serene she's felt for some time. After gruelling weeks of trying to free Ren from his charges, the other day he was finally safe and back with them. And after an intimate night with the two of them together, she was on a pretty good high right about now.

Makoto shifted a little underneath the blanket she shared with her boyfriend. The two of them snuggled up close on his bed found in the 2nd floor of LeBlanc. Right now, her appearance was disheveled and certain articles of clothing were missing from the previous night's "program."

It was only 6:00AM and it was still kinda early for them to get ready for the day. But Makoto wanted to surprise her boyfriend. And for her to enact her plans, she needed to get up now. She slowly removed the arm holding her close to him, and began tiptoeing towards her overnight bag to get dressed and ready for the day.

After freshening up in the restroom, Makoto headed to the now quiet kitchen. It was very strange to see LeBlanc this quiet and it was rare for her to see it and be there this early. But she got herself fired up and headed to the refrigerator.

Inside were already assorted items she left inside already such as eggs and cheeses. She also prepared some bacon as well.

She wanted to make an american breakfast for a change. She wondered if they served that kind of breakfast in juvenile hall, but she'll ask Ren another time. For now though, he was going to be spoiled by her. She wanted to be an awesome girlfriend. Luckily, Makoto has a lot of experience cooking for herself. She had to cook for both herself and her sister so often, it became second nature on what movements she needed to do in the kitchen.

She first found an apron, and started bringing out the right kitchenware. She brings out the cooking oil, the eggs, and other items she wanted to prepare for breakfast.

"Hmmm… maybe an omelette will be good?" Makoto smiles to herself. Feeling a bit excited. She imagines the warm face Ren will have when she prepares a heartfelt meal this morning. She goes to the stove and gets to work.

After sometime, the eggs have been prepared. Her omelette was a success with added cheese, and ham. She sprinkled in a little veggies for variety. A few cut up bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes. It smelled wonderful. Right beside her was the already prepared bacon placed neatly ready to serve. She removed the excess oil first and now, it was perfect for consumption. She checked the time and it was already 7:00AM. She wanted to finish earlier, but setting up, and finding everything in the kitchen took longer than expected. Being quiet didn't help that much either.

Some more time has passed, and toast was prepared, Orange juice was ready to be served, and the plates were set up. All that was left to do was call her co-diner from upstairs.

She giggled in delight with how everything looked. Her stomach grumbled a little in anticipation.

Makoto was about to go upstairs when she started hearing footsteps coming from above.

"Right on time." she said.

There coming from above was none other than Ren. He was still a bit drowsy as he tried slowly waking himself up. His hair was a bit of a mess, but he had a huge grin on his face.

"Good morning, Beautiful." he said to her.

Makoto blushed.

"Good morning, to you as well."

Ren paused for a moment however when he saw the spread of food by the counter. Quickly he smiled and walked to Makoto and planted a sweet kiss. The both of them savored the kiss for a moment. Makoto was beginning to get a little light headed all over again. Finally they leaned away but still held each other around their waists.

"Wow… look at all this. Makoto… you know I could have helped." he said.

"Yeah I know… But I wanted to surprise you!" she said cheerily.

"Well… I definitely am surprised." he smirked.

"I hope you like what I made."

Ren nodded.

"Definitely… everything looks spectacular. Am I expecting this kind of treatment often… after every time we—-"

Before Ren could finish that sentence, Makoto hit him a little on the arm. Ren just snickered a little as he tried shielding himself.

"Down boy…" she said.

"I'm just teasing." he said.

"Yeah, I know."

Ren came in again close as he cupped Makoto's chin and started to lean in closer.

"You know… honestly… I could get used to this. Waking up with you every morning. Us taking turns making breakfast… it's perfect." he said.

"Yeah… it definitely is."

Before they could kiss again however, they heard a knocking on the front door.

Surprised that there was someone knocking so early this morning, they both turn around to check who could it be? Their first suspect was Sojiro, but their eyes went wide when she saw the familiar face of none other than Sae Niijima.

"S-sis!?"

Makoto panicked internally. She didn't expect to see her here… and at this time. She knew that she was supposed to be busy at the office and like usual, wouldn't stay at home this evening. Makoto HOPED that staying over at Ren's place would go unnoticed…. but it was becoming more and more unlikely that "Sae Niijima" had no idea what just happened the night before.

Ren began holding Makoto's hand comfortingly.

 _"_ _It's okay… we'll be fine…." he whispered to Makoto._

"Hello Makoto… and Ren" her sister smiled at her. "Can you… open the door… please?" she said from outside the door. Sae's smiles sent tiny shivers down both of their spines.

 _"_ _Oh my God… she knows… I stayed here…"_ Makoto screamed internally.

"Of course!" Makoto lets go of Ren's hand and goes to the door.

The breeze from the winter air entered briefly as Sae quickly stepped in. Makoto was still wearing something light. A shirt, and shorts combo. More suited for in-house wear than anything else, so the cold air affected her. But right now, she wished she looked more presentable… or at least looked less suspicious. She wished she wore something that said "I just arrived earlier this morning" instead of "I slept here last night."

Makoto groaned a little as Sae looked over her little sister's outfit. She then looked at the boy by the counter who was also kinda frozen as well. There was silence in the air. It was beginning to get heavy. Sae's eyes looked serious.

Makoto wanted to say something but before she could say anything, Sae spoke up.

"I wanted to surprise you last night by arriving early from work, Makoto."

Makoto blinked. She didn't expect that. It's true that their relationship had improved IMMENSELY over the last few months, but nice surprises like that were still far in between due to work issues more than anything else.

"But to my surprise, I found an empty apartment. All the lights were off… and when I looked around… I noticed… an overnight bag missing from our closet…" Sae raised her eyebrow at her younger sister.

"So… I thought to myself… Hmm… Today's Valentine's Day… Makoto might be with someone special this evening… and I recalled from my investigations previously… that a certain recently release teenager was said partner of my younger sister."

Ren gulped a little.

"So… I thought maybe… they were having a nice dinner together. I called up Sojiro Sakura and he confirmed that you indeed arrived last night at LeBlanc. I thought I wouldn't mind waiting till after dinner… but to my surprise… she never arrived home."

Makoto and Ren looked at each other. They were like deer in headlights.

"I waited till about 1:00AM till I decided… that my sister probably isn't coming home this evening. I happened to wake up early so that I can walk a bit, maybe pass by and check on you, and lo and behold, both of you were awake as I looked inside Leblanc."

Sae's smile was a devilish grin.

This was when Makoto felt something was a bit odd with the way her sister talked. It seemed like she was a bit upset but at the same time there was something else. It seemed like… her sister was actually… TEASING HER… like she was just PRETENDING… to be upset. But this seemed unlikely. Sae Niijima was never really the type to act like that. Only in her memories of her youth did her sister tend to act like this.

They were a bit confused but Ren was starting to suspect that she wasn't letting on something.

"Uhm… well… okay… Sis… I'm sorry I didn't tell you…but Ren and I… we—-"

"Don't say anymore…" Sae's hand was comfortably on the shoulder of Makoto. She looked up towards her older sister and in surprise… Sae was actually smiling towards her.

"I'm not going to tell you to stop…or judge… with what you're doing… with your boyfriend… I just hope that next time… please tell me where you'll be. I was a bit worried Makoto about your whereabouts. You can trust me. It's fine that you're with him. I just have to know so I wont be worried sick not knowing where you might be. And I hope I can trust you… to be smart… about it… okay? I mean… BOTH of you… be smart about things. Were you?" Sae looked back and forth to both Ren and Makoto.

Ren finally started to smile and nodded back.

"We... were smart about it."

"Good." she said.

Sae's smile looked energetic like a normal older sister would be as she talked to family.

Makoto's heart melted a little at this predicament. She really should have told her sister sooner.

"Okay… next time…" Makoto said with a nod.

Sae nodded as well and headed towards the kitchen.

"Wow… breakfast looks wonderful. Can I join in?" she asks.

Makoto smiles.

"Of course! Let me cook up a bit more. We have a lot more food actually. And I'll set up an extra plate."

Sae walks up to Ren however and Makoto freezes once more.

"You know… after all our conversations… you never once told me about your relationship with my sister. I mean… I knew of course…"

Ren rubbed his neck due to a bit of stress.

"Or maybe that's the reason why you didn't tell me… Because you knew I knew? Were you afraid I wouldn't approve of you? Hmm… The truth is… I had my reservations… but a lot has happened since we first met… and I can honestly say that you're an upstanding young man."

Ren actually blushed with the comments.

"Thanks for saying—-"

Sae however held up her hand saying she wasn't finished speaking.

"I'm honestly still upset that you didn't tell me… but I understand. It's complicated…But the important thing right now is… I love Makoto and I want to hear it from you… that you'll take care of her.

Ren straightened his posture and nodded once more.

"Yes. Makoto is important to me. I love her… and I promise to take care of her… with all of my heart."

"Good answer. I just hope the two of you make sure to take your studies into considerations… and I'm hoping we can have more… "family" meals like this."

Makoto couldn't help but giggle a little. Sae was really acting like the nice big sister she always wanted to have. Sae then signaled Ren to sit beside her. He refused because. he began helping Makoto with preparing a bit more food for breakfast for the three of them.

Makoto went close to Ren and whispered into his ear.

"You know… I always wondered what sis would say if I ever I had a boyfriend. I wondered if she would grill the poor fellow? But apparently… sis likes you…" Makoto had a wonderful smile on her face. Happiness obvious in the way she talked.

Ren smiled and whispered back.

"I'm glad I got past the interview." He said.

The both of them giggled.

"Hey. What's so funny you two?" Sae asked. Her eyebrow raised as she looked at the two behind the counter.

"Oh nothing sis! We're just thinking of things to make for breakfast." Makoto quickly said. But she couldn't help but giggle again after.

Sae couldn't help but sigh. She noticed how happy the two of them looked together. Her heart felt lighter, as she thought these two young people will probably turn up just fine in life. Bright futures now in their hands.

The rest of the morning became quite light-hearted as they enjoyed talking amongst themselves. In the future, the three of them would continue to end up talking like this over meals for years to come.


	13. YuRise: A Christmas Situation

Author's note:

Hey everyone! I'm releasing this story today on June 1, in honor of the birthday girl Rise Kujikawa! I love Rise a lot and she needs some more love! So, I hope you enjoy this story! It's about what happens after Christmas Eve, when Rise stays over. Till next time!

* * *

 _It all started on Christmas Eve… when Rise decided to stay over at Yu's place._

"Senpai… Can I stay here tonight?" Rise blushed as she asked. Her heart beating wildly. The boy she loved dearly right across her. His caring eyes look straight at her.

"When you go back to your home town, and if I decide to go back to my singing career… We won't be able to see each other very often, will we?"

Yu noticed Rise's distraught look.

"Maybe we'll never have the chance again." she said.

Yu reached out towards Rise's hand and comforted her with his thumb rubbing the back of her hand.

"Nothing will change between us…. I love you. And we'll make sure that we do see each other again." he said.

Rise smiled. The beautiful blush appearing on her face.

"Yes… we will make time…"

Rise giggled. Her cute laugh which sent butterflies fluttering through Yu's stomach.

"That's why I want tonight to be something precious to remember." she said.

Rise looked away for a moment. Obviously embarrassed.

Yu looked at her with understanding. He himself realised what she meant. His own heart beating. He loved Rise… her whole person. But he wasn't blind. His girlfriend was absolutely breathtaking body and soul… and tonight… was something the both of them… must have wanted for quite some time.

The physical attraction between them ever so evident. But tonight would be something special… unique. Not just a physical connection… but an emotional and spiritual connection. Two loved ones being one with one another. LOVE.

"… So… please…?" she asked.

Yu reached out from across the table, caressed Rise's beautiful cheek and leaned in for a wonderful first kiss of the evening.

He leaned back and nodded.

"You always have a home with me… and you can stay with me whenever you like…"

Rise reached out from over the table and kissed Yu again deeply. She crawled a bit forward and jumped a little as she semi-tackled Yu on the other side.

The two of them laughed for a moment before easing back into another kiss. The energy and sexual tension. The desperation to feel each other's skin. Their hands reaching towards areas underneath.

A few minutes later… clothes and underwear are thrown around the room without a care. The lights were off… and two young lovers were experiencing something together for the first time.

It was 8:30 in the morning as Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko decided to drop by the Dojima household. Their group of friends were supposed to meet up at Junes right before lunch but the three friends decided to drop by and pick up their leader along the way. He was alone last night, and visiting him a bit early was something the 3 of them wanted to do to cheer him up a little on Christmas Day.

"I hope we're not intruding. But I'm happy we get to help cheer Yu on this special day." said Yukiko.

"No need to worry Yukiko. You know that were welcome here always. But of course it's best that we knock." said Yosuke.

"Yeah! We're quite early! Maybe Yu is probably still having breakfast or something. Maybe… he might have something yummy cooked for this morning… and has extra." Chie's face cheery at the prospect of delicious food.

"Do you always think with your stomach?" Yosuke sighed.

Chie made a swift swiping motion and hit Yosuke on the arm.

"I DO NOT!" she shouted.

"OW! I'm just kidding! Besides… I'm honestly curious what my partner makes for breakfast nowadays. We all know he's the best cook among us."

The two girls then sighed in agreement.

"That's true." said Chie and Yukiko defeatedly.

Yosuke knocks on the door and rings the doorbell again.

"Hello? Anyone home? Partner?" he asks.

There was no reply.

"Hmm.. odd… Yu was here last night right?" asked Yukiko.

"I messaged him yesterday and he said he was staying here." said Yosuke.

"Rise-san did say she was planning to pass by here yesterday and she said to me that Yu was definitely staying her last night." said Chie.

The three of them thought to themselves for a moment.

"Rise is pretty close to Yu, isn't she? Is it true… they're dating?" asked Yukiko.

"I heard that too! I think they are… aren't they?! I mean… my gosh… Rise is pretty obvious about her feelings for Yu." said Chie.

"Well… it seems like Yu tends to reciprocate… I mean… I'm pretty sure he likes her too." said Yosuke.

Chie suddenly looked a bit giddy.

"Oooo… a romance blossoming in our group. That's pretty cool." she said.

"Where's Rise-san now anyway?" asked Yosuke.

"I messaged her this morning but she didn't reply. Maybe she's still asleep?" said Yukiko.

The three of them just shrugged as they tried asking if anyone is home.

Yosuke then tried opening the door and found it unlocked.

"Oh… Hmm… I guess someone is here."

The three of them started entering quietly.

"Excuse us please." said Yukiko for the three of them as they entered.

The three of them then noticed that the lights were on in the living room and kitchen area. The place was warm as the heater was on and they could smell something delicious coming from the dinner table.

"Someone is definitely here." said Yosuke with a smile.

They suddenly heard a door opening from the ground floor bathroom. Chie instinctively jumped in front of the three of them and spoke up.

"Yu! We're here! Surprise! Merry Christmas!" shouted out Chie. Her arms wide open and her eyes looking at the person in front of her.

"AHHHHHHH!" said the silver-haired boy.

Chie looked in horror for a moment and the two other people alongside her immediately shouted in return.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Chie, Yukiko, and Yosuke began covering their eyes in embarrassment as Yu was apparently only wearing his boxers and a towel around his shoulders for his very wet hair.

"DUUUUUUDDDEEE! Why are you like almost naked?!" asked Yosuke.

"WHY ARE YOU GUYS IN HERE?!" asked Yu as he tried to cover himself up.

"YOUR DOOR WAS UNLOCKED MAN!" said Yosuke. Averting his eyes from the scene in front of him.

We just wanted to great you and cheer you up this Christmas morning!" said Yukiko. Her cheeks were a bright red from embarrassment.

"Did you cook naked or something?! Is this what you do when you're alone!?" asked Chie. Her eyes trying to avoid the embarrassing stuff about Yu as well.

"Uhm! Well…!" Yu then began backtracking towards the bathroom again. He opens the door quickly and closes it again as he enters and the three of the notice that the shower was still running.

"WAIT A SECOND!…" he shouted from inside of the bathroom.

The three of them sighed.

"GOD that was so embarrassing." said Chie.

"This was totally our fault though. We barged in here…" said Yosuke.

The three of them sighed.

"We should wait for him and apologize." said Yukiko.

The three of them nodded to one another.

"Let's just sit in the kitchen while we wait for him." said Chie.

The three headed to the dining area and looked at the food Yu prepared for breakfast.

There were various things. A mix of Japanese breakfast and some western influences. There were some eggs and toast. But there was also rice and miso soup. As the three of them looked over the food, they noticed something quite apparent… the food was set up for more than one person. There was an extra plate set up already.

"Was someone else supposed to be here with Yu?" asked Yosuke.

"I don't think so? Wait… Did Yu know we were coming?" asked Chie.

"Then why did he shout in surprise when he saw us?" asked Yukiko.

Yu suddenly stepped outside of the bathroom. This time, a little more covered up. A shirt and shorts combo for his outfit.

"Hey guys! So glad to have you over." He rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke. His voice a bit shaky.

"Hey bro. Uhm… Sorry about a while ago…" said Yosuke. Wincing a little.

"Yeah. It's okay… I understand… You were just trying to surprise me. You uhm… guys staying long?" asked Yu.

"Welll… honestly…We wanted to wait for you and accompany you this morning till the meetup!" said Chie cheerfully.

"We knew you were alone last night…. so yeah! Your friends are here for you!" sad Yukiko.

"But… I feel we overstayed our welcome… So… we'll just go on ahead. We're really sorry." Yosuke said.

The three of them bowed their heads a little in apology. The awkward air still around.

Yu however quickly reassured them that it was fine.

"It was an accident. It's also my fault for leaving the door unlocked. I must have when I stepped out for a moment this morning. And honestly, I'm really happy to see all of you. It really means a lot. But… yeah let's see each other later alright?" Yu did his classic comforting and disarming smile.

His friends couldn't help but smile back. They felt all was forgiven.

"But bro… before we go… I gotta ask… this is a lot of food for one person. And what's with the extra plate?" asked Yosuke.

"Is someone else joining you for breakfast?" asked Chie.

"Well… uhh… I thought my uncle might come in for breakfast so I prepared some more just in case." said Yu.

Yosuke noticed his speech was a bit off. But his story did make some sort of sense.

"Oh okay. Uhm… mind if we grab a bite or two…?" said Chie quickly

Yu laughed and nodded.

"Of course!… Go ahead… let me just be right back okay. I forgot something upstairs! OH! And don't head into the bathroom. It's all sorts of messy… and I'm not yet quite done." said Yu.

As Yu was about to climb the stairs, Yosuke stopped him for a moment.

"Bro. I think you left your shower on in the bathroom?"

Yu froze for a moment.

"Oh… my mistake… let me just… turn it off…"

Yu quickly returned to the bathroom. He took a bit longer than normal as he turned off the shower. As soon as he stepped out, he quickly shut the door behind.

"Like I said… don't go in there." Yu said quickly.

"Uh… sure." said Chie.

Yu quickly went upstairs and the sound of a door opening and closing was heard quickly.

It was but a moment after when Chie headed to the dining table and grabbed a bit of food from the spread.

"Hey! Chie! I know Yu said that we can get but make sure to leave some for him!" said Yosuke.

Chie looked at him with an annoyed expression.

"Of course I am! I'm just tasting… a bit of everything that's all!"

Yukiko looked at the spread as well with shining eyes.

"The breakfast does look lovely. Maybe I'll have a taste as well." she said.

Yosuke just sighed in response.

"Well… I guess a little taste wont hurt." said Yosuke.

"HACCCHHOOOOO!"

The three of them stopped as they heard a sound.

"What was that?!" Chie asked, now a bit frightened.

"HAccchhhooooo!"

The three of them stiffened. Looking for the source of the sound.

"It sounded like a sneeze!" said Yukiko.

"Hacchhhooo!"

That last one caught their attention the most and made them realise it was coming from the bathroom.

"That's definitely weird…" said Yosuke.

"Wait… could you suppose that someone else really is here with—-?"

But before Yukiko could say any further, the sound of Yu coming from his room and coming down the stairs quickly was heard. He quickly landed back on the ground floor. He was holding what appeared to be a laundry bag.

"Hey guys. Uhm… Still here?… Let me just head back into the—-"

Yosuke pulled his best friend back a little before he entered the bathroom.

"Hold it right there, PARTNER."

"Yeah… what's going on here?!" asked Chie.

"Something definitely is fishy around here." said Yukiko.

Chie looked at the laundry bag he was holding and noticed something odd about it.

"What's with the bag?" she asked.

"Uhm… clothes? for myself?" said Yu.

"Okay? But why are you bringing them down?" asked Yukiko.

"… Uhm… I'm just changing into them here downstairs."

"But aren't you pretty much dressed now? And why couldn't you dress up in your room?"

Yu was getting nervous. They knew something was off. It was Chie who tried swiping the laundry bag from Yu.

"Hyaaa!" she shouted.

It was a quick movement which made Yu let go… but his grip was a bit tight which let the bag fly wildly into the air as he desperately held on to a bit of it. The bag was ripped open. There was an explosion of the contents spreading throughout the living room. But what shocked everyone were the contents itself. They were the parts of a girl's uniform of a Yasogami high school student. What else was included… were a bra and lady's underwear.

Everybody started blushing again.

"DUDE! What's with this?!" asked Yosuke.

"Narukami-kun! You pervert!" said Chie.

"What are you doing with these?!" said Yukiko

"Wait! It's a misunderstanding!" Yu tried to explain quickly.

"UNLESS….!" The three friends voiced out at the same time. Understanding quickly going through them simultaneously as they all looked towards the bathroom.

"There's… a girl inside that bathroom… isn't there?" asked Chie. The blush rising on her face.

"I think we all have an idea who it might be inside…" Yosuke said hesitantly.

As if right on cue, the door to the bathroom opened slightly, so just a sliver can be seen… but soon a head of a girl popped out with a towel wrapped around her hair.

It was Rise.

"Hi guys…Uhm… okay… you caught us…Ahehehe…" she said embarrassingly.

"Rise-san when you meant that you were going to visit Yu yesterday you were planning on staying over weren't you?…" Yukiko's blush creeping on her face.

"So that means…" Yosuke couldn't even finish saying what he knew must have happened. It was pretty obvious with the discarded clothes and the atmosphere.

Both Rise and Yu just looked away and didn't say anything. But their silence more or less confirms what they were all thinking.

Finally Rise nodded from the slit of the bathroom. Unable to confirm verbally due to the awkward situation.

"And this morning… the both of you… continued… in the shower?" Chie said as well.

Yu nodded this time as well. Trying to look away from everybody's gazes. His face was beet red.

"Can I please have my clothes now…? I'm starting to catch a cold…" Rise said pleadingly.

There was just silence as everyone helped pick up the clothes of Rise which flew around everywhere.

Yu gathered everything from the others and handed them over to Rise.

After a few minutes, Rise finally stepped out fully clothed. Her face completely red. Yu approached her and held her hand as they walked towards the living room together. The three remaining friends waiting there to hear their story…

In the end though… they all laughed a little. Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko congratulated the two of them on getting together. The truth to the rumours of their relationship finally confirmed.

Soon… all of them were enjoying once again… as Yu asked that they stay for breakfast. He began preparing enough food for the five of them. The atmosphere was no longer awkward. But the story of what happened today would definitely be something the rest of them would tease Yu and Rise… for a long time.


End file.
